Allen Countians overwhelmingly supported a quarter-cent sales tax extension to support maintaining Allen County Regional Hospital and its clinic in Tuesday’s election.
In unofficial results posted Tuesday evening, voters approved extending the sales tax by nearly 3-to-1 (1,297-448).
The other contested races were considerably tighter, in what was a disappointingly low-turnout election. Only 19% of Allen County’s almost 9,000 registered voters bothered to cast a vote.
John Masterson was the top vote-getter in a five-way race for three USD 257 school board seats, receiving 727 votes. Lisa Wicoff also apparently secured a seat, receiving 559 votes. John Wilson was third with 555 votes. Nathan Cunningham finished just out of the running with 533 votes. Incumbent Robin Griffin-Lohman received 481 votes.
The only contested race on the Iola City Council saw incumbent Nicholas Lohman receive 87 votes to challenger Myra Gleason’s 67. Former Councilman Mark Peters was unopposed in his bid to rejoin the Council as was newcomer Jeremiah Ivy.
LAHARPE’S votes featured wire-thin margins.
Harry Lee Jr. was the top vote-getter among six candidates seeking three City Council seats, receiving 33 votes. Just behind in second was Ronald Knavel Sr. with 31. Incumbent Sharlyn Thompson received 26 votes, a measly one-vote advantage over Cynthia Carr’s 25. Kendra Michael was a close fifth with 21 votes. Craig Trester earned 16 votes.
LaHarpe voters also narrowly favored a 1.5% sales tax vote for street maintenance, 32-30.
It should be noted that although the voting ended Tuesday, mail-in ballots that were mailed by Tuesday can still arrive at the county clerk’s office by Friday and still be counted.
Also still to be determined are how many provisional ballots were cast in the elections. A provisional ballot is one that’s cast when a voter’s name does not match what’s on the registration rolls.
The provisional ballots will be considered when the election is certified at Monday’s Allen County Commission meeting.
VOTERS likely won’t know write-in results for seats on local city councils and other governing bodies for a few more days.
Nobody filed for Iola’s Ward 1 Council seat, although Iola High School teacher Doug Kerr mounted a write-in campaign in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote.
Allen County Clerk Shannon Patterson reported 55 write-in votes had been cast in Ward 1.
Those will be sorted through Wednesday, but won’t be announced until the election is canvassed and certified Monday, Patterson said.
In Humboldt, voters cast 36 write-in votes for Ward 2, Position 4, and 33 write-in votes for Ward 1, Position 3.
