THREE REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES ALSO TO BE DECIDED
Platte County voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 6 to decide on issues and candidates in the 2024 primary election.
Potential voters can get a complete look at the issues and names on the ballot in the legal notices section in this edition of The Landmark. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and a list of polling sites can be found in the legal notices.
One of the highlights of the vote will be a decision on Platte County’s proposed $408 million jail tax. The proposed sales tax increase is a half cent for 20 years to go toward construction and operation of a 471-bed, three-story jail in Downtown Platte City.
If approved, it would be the largest tax increase in Platte County history.
Other decisions on the ballot include three contested Republican primaries for county offices, such as county assessor, county commissioner in district two and public administrator.
The jail issue involves two questions on the ballot as follows:
Question 1: Asks voters to approve general obligation bonds in the amount of $85 million for constructing and designing an improved detention center. Missouri state law requires general obligation bonds to receive a 4/7 super majority of yes votes, so this question requires 57.14 percent approval from voters to pass.
Question 2 would create a new half cent sales tax increase for 20 years for operations and maintenance of “an expanded and improved inmate detention center.” Platte County officials say they estimate this tax would generate roughly $408 million for the new jail over the 20 years.
Officials at the Platte County Board of Elections are projecting a voter turnout on Aug. 6 of about 32 percent. Some recent voter turnouts in August primary elections held in the county are 27.42% in 2022; 32.25% in 2020; and 36.75% in 2018.
Absentee voting has picked up as the election draws near, says Chris Hershey, a director for the Platte County Board of Elections.
“There was a noticeable increase in absentee voting at the start of the ‘no excuse’ absentee period last Tuesday, July 23, so good job to everyone for being aware that no excuse voting is available,” said Hershey, emphasizing that voters can show up to cast ballots during regular hours at the Platte County Board of Elections office, 2600 NW Prairie View Road in Platte City.
As of Monday, July 29, 340 people had voted since the beginning of absentee voting on June 25, Hershey said.
CONTESTED REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES
The local Republican primaries include:
District two commissioner: Melissa Steele Moran is challenging incumbent Joe Vanover. District two is generally the northern half of the county.
Vanover was first elected in 2020 and is seeking his second term. Previously, he served as an assistant prosecutor for Platte County.
Moran has lived in Platte County for 36 years. She has been owner of Senior Helpers business for more than 16 years.
“I want to cultivate relationships that actively benefit the Platte County citizens. At times I have felt under-represented at a local level, and I want to change that for people,” Moran said. “I want to serve the community I live in and continue to make this county a great place to live. This is not a political steppingstone for me.”
During his first term in office, Vanover led an effort to start to develop the Michael Gunn Park at Platte Meadows in southern Platte County. He also worked to find a use for a Civil War era log cabin in southern Platte County that the county parks department had purchased.
County assessor:
Current assessor David Cox is retiring and not seeking reelection. On the ballot are Dagmar Wood and Marcus Farr.
Wood is the current first district county commissioner, a post she has held since first being elected in 2016. She opted out of seeking reelection as commissioner and instead filed for assessor.
Farr is currently a certified real estate appraiser and an experienced appraiser for Platte County.
“As your new Platte County Assessor, I will provide the lowest assessments allowable; be in the office full time, unlike officeholders who treat their county position as part-time work with full time pay, and fully support senior tax relief,” Farr said.
In her campaign for assessor, Wood has said “When citizens call our office, they will be given complete information on their valuations, the process, and how to appeal them to a taxpayer-friendly board of equalization.”
Public administrator:
There are two names on the ballot for the Republican nomination for Platte County Public Administrator. Shanna L. Burns, incumbent, and Samantha Price.
STATEWIDE BALLOT
See the legal notice inside this issue of The Landmark for a complete listing of candidates for all parties, as well as constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Likely the most publicized of all the statewide races has been the Republican nomination for governor. The three major contenders are Mike Kehoe, current lieutenant governor; Jay Ashcroft, current secretary of state; and State Sen. Bill Eigel.
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