Prior to Tuesday’s election, Disclosure is bringing you the coverage we’ve given of the majority of our readership area so you’ll be aware of the contested races. This information is appearing in the current print version on stands right now, so if you need a hard copy of it, hurry and get out to pick one up; the new issue is due to hit the stands beginning April 16 and 17, which means we’ll have a full recap of election results in the new issue. In the interim, we’ve opted to go ahead and post the contents of the current issue’s front-page coverage of the ballots by county, to spur interest and ensure that everyone gets out and VOTES. There may not be many contested races, but that doesn’t mean these offices are not important. The school boards, township officials, aldermen/council seats, mayoral races and other items on the ballot, including ballot questions (such as whether a location should remain ‘dry,’ or whether a public safety tax should be imposed) are the bottom-line basics of public service…and they’re being abused daily in Illinois (and everywhere), so it’s important to PAY ATTENTION TO THEM. And the best “attention” you can pay to them is to show that we can do a better voter turnout locally than something in the teens or 20s.
So here is the second of the posts, which will conclude Monday and will be run alphabetically between now and then, continuing with Crawford.
Crawford County courthouse
Crawford County: Many mayoral races in the burgs
The distinction of mayoral races in almost every town in the county marks Crawford’s ballot features.
The city of Robinson has a face-off between two candidates, Lon M. Smith and Roger E. Pethtel (incumbent); village of Flat Rock has incumbent Larry Keeler seeking to keep the seat against challenger Brandi Weger; and village of Palestine’s mayor Pat Schofield finding her mayoral seat challenged by independent candidates Candy Carter and Earnie M. Mendenhall III.
There is only one contested race on the city council in Robinson: Ward 2 is sought by Karen S. Bowman and Nikki Aldrich.
Trustees in Palestine are the only ones that will see three selected among five (other villages have just enough—three—to fill the slate regardless): Harry Gene Purcell, Lloyd S. Dunlap III, Ricky A. Stork, George Harrison and Williams L. Snyder are the five seeking three seats on that board.
Crawford Township trustee races
Townships in Crawford seeing races for the trustee slate are Hutsonville, Martin, Prairie and Robinson.
In Hutsonville, six seek four seats: Republicans Guy Rumler and Mike Kraemer; and Democrats Tim Terry, Ryan Love, Todd Seaney and Rob Lowrance.
In Martin, four will be selected from five: Republican Bill Midgett; and John Russell, Danny K. Mundhenk, Madeline Harris and DeWayne Mundhenk, all Democrats.
In Prairie, it’s four our of five also: Democrats Charles E. Guyer, Derek B. Staley and Chris Weck; and Republicans Lyle Crane and Jacob J. Shonk.
In Robinson, eight seek four seats: Republicans Patrick J. Richards, Gregory C. Wolfe, Shirley A. Berry and Lori Ann Hodge; and Democrats Fred Chinn, Floyd Brinkman Jr., S. Bryon Danks and John M. Sutfin II.
Other township offices contested
Honey Creek Township has a race for supervisor: Republican Daniel L. Gower and Democrat Gregory A. Wampler vy for that office. For township clerk, Republican Beverly Hemrich and Democrat Lynn H. McCleave are seeking the office. And for highway commissioner, Republican Chris Bonnell and Democrat Ralph E. Weger are contending.
Montgomery Township has a race for highway commissioner: Edward A. Carpenter, Republican, versus Michael R. Eakins, Democrat.
Oblong Township also has a race for highway commissioner: Democrat Jerry Ping seeks the office against Republican Jerry D. Lewis.
Prairie Township holds a highway commissioner race: Democrat Williams Gamblin and Republican Gerald L. Hill vy for that office.
In Robinson Township, the supervisor’s position is a race between Republican Larry McCoy and Democrat Debra L. Dix.
School board races
Appearing on the ballot for the portion of Crawford to which the Casey-Westfield School District No. C-4 applies is a select-four of six: Alan Hutton, Jeff Gowin, Casey Overbeck, Terri R. Cox, Curtis E. Carver and Robert L. Dougherty.
In Oblong School District No. 4, it’s three of four: Chad Pusey (Oblong police chief, who continues the strange and ongoing southern Illinois trend of police officers getting placed on school boards), Danny R. Swaner, Todd Musgrave and Michael Higgins.
In Palestine School District No. 3, three of five will be selected for school board: Susan J. Hawkins, James L. Bush, Tara R. Vennard, Matt McCoy and Shari L. Eckert.
Hutsonville School District No. 1 sees a contest of four vying for three seats: Tina Callaway, John P Cody, Mike Knecht and Chad Guyer.
And Red Hill School District No. 10 has a placement on the ballot, where there’s a four-of-five contest: Ashley Ryan, Roger Kissen, Dixie Purcell, Bob Christy and Jim Legg.
Other ballot races; questions
A library trustee race in Palestine exists, with Rhonda Kaye Eller, Robert L. Bowen, Terrie L. McDaniel and Robert F. Taylor seeking three seats.
And in the only ballot proposition coming up this election, a question is posed county-wide: For the County School Facility Occupation Tax Law, the question, “Shall a retailers’ occupation tax and a service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a “sales tax”) be imposed in Crawford County at a rate of 1% to be used exclusively for school facility purposes?”
Already overtaxed residents will likely not let this one pass, but that remains to be seen, as the threat of raising property taxes is always looming.