MOST TAX, BOND ISSUE QUESTIONS WERE APPROVED AT TUESDAY’S ELECTION
Voters were mostly in a giving mood at Tuesday’s election when it comes to tax levy questions and bond issue proposals. Most appear to have passed, with an exception being a bond issue question for the Northland Regional Ambulance District, with unofficial results showing the NRAD question failed by a small number of votes. Unofficial results also show that a tax levy increase question at Weatherby Lake failed by 11 votes.
Platte County R-3 passed a bond question, Park Hill School District passed a levy question and a bond question, the Central Platte Fire District passed a tax levy increase that will help the department go to full time status, and Platte City passed measures to create a marijuana tax and a hotel/motel tax.
In a tight race for elective office, Ken Graham edged Amber Brune for the ward three alderman seat in Platte City by a count of 87-83.
As for NRAD: “It looks like we’re under the required 57.14% needed for passage,” Jason James, executive director for NRAD, said early Wednesday morning.
“We’ll wait for Clay County to give us an official number (after ballots have been certified),” he said, adding that by NRAD’s calculations it looks like the measure failed by about 26 votes.
NRAD covers portions of Platte County and the Smithville area of Clay County. Vote totals in Platte County showed 1,199 in favor to 800 opposed. In the Clay County portion of the ambulance district, vote totals were 935 in favor to 808 no, with 34 “undervotes” reported by Clay County. If the undervotes are considered as “no,” the measure gathered about 56.25% approval. If only yes and no votes are counted, that’s a total of 2,134 yes and 1608 no, or about 57.02% in favor, about five votes short of the needed 57.14%.
“Undervotes” are defined as occurring when a voter selects fewer options in a contest than the maximum number allowed or makes no selection at all.
Regardless of the result, “We’ll continue to take care of sick people. We’re trying to cut response times down,” James said.
For a complete list of Platte County results, go to plattecountymovotes.gov/results.
Following are highlighted outcomes of contested elections.
City of Platte City
Ward 3 alderman: Ken Graham 87, Amber Brune 83.
Marijuana sales tax: 304 yes, 104 no.
Hotel/motel tax: 237 yes, 167 no.
Change mayoral term to four years instead of two years: 259 yes, 139 no.
Change terms for aldermen to four years instead of two years: 234 yes, 163 no.
City of Parkville
Ward 2 alderman: Brian Whitley 485, Lovell Holloway 27.
Ward 4 alderman: Abby LacKamp 164, Evan Maxon 57, Wendy Murphy 12.
City of Tracy
Use tax question: 28 yes, 10 no.
City of Weatherby Lake
West ward alderman: Paula York 196, Doug Richmond 109.
Tax levy question: 313 no, 302 yes.
City of Weston
Mayor: Kim Kirby 276, Allison Roberts 191.
City of Houston Lake
Continuation of fire suppression tax: 48 yes, 1 no.
Central Platte Fire District
17-cent tax levy increase: 860 yes, 709 no.
Park Hill School District
Prop G tax levy question: 5656 yes, 2841 no.
General obligation bond question (57.14% approval needed: 5,278 yes, 3,212 no, 62.17% approval.
Platte County R-3
School District
General obligation bond question (57.14% approval required): The measure received 68% approval overall with results from Platte and Clay County portions of the district, with a total of 1,793 yes, 844 no.
R-3 school board (top two vote getters elected): Alisha Elliott 1471, Shawn Chiddix 1404, John A. Ready 955.
It is anticipated that results will be certified by the Platte County Board of Elections later this week and official numbers will be available at that time.
