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 fourth of the posts, which will conclude Monday and will be run alphabetically between now and then, continuing with Gallatin.
Gallatin County: One serious mayoral race, little else
In Gallatin County, where there’s usually quite a bit of interest in public office, that doesn’t seem to be the case this go-round.
The city of Shawneetown will see a three-way race for mayor: Terry W. Williams, Robert Boon and David Barker.
No other municipalities in Gallatin have a race for village president, but they at least have candidates interested enough to take the job: In Equality, the perpetual (and perpetually annoying) Frank Sisk; in Junction, Melinda K. Robbins; in New Haven, Kevin J. Edmonds; in Old Shawneetown, Chris Oldham; in Omaha, Dennis M. West; and in Ridgway, Rebecca Mitchell.
Village trustee races
In Equality, three trustees will be selected from six candidates: Billy C. Moore, William L. Barnes, Jermaie Sandor, A. Garrett Wargel, John Wren and Bill Springer.
In New Haven, Amy Lashley, Zella Medlin, Brigitte Browning and Matthew Edmonds seek three trustee seats.
In Old Town, James Back Jr., Kenny Oldham, Derek Chandler and Nell A. Moore-Rosser seek three trustee seats.
In Ridgway, Mike Kitchens, Bud Kimbro, Arthur Brown, Anthony Drone and Ardon Smith seek three trustee seats.
Townships: Trustee, other offices
From late 2009: Cathy Hopper, Doggie Poshard at an Equality Township meeting
Two townships have contested races for four seats each as township trustees: in beleaguered Equality Township, Pat Frohock, Terry Wood, Cletus Wargel, John Wren and Don Collins are running for four; and in Shawnee Township, Rhonda Twitchell, Vulenia Johnson, Kimberly Bryson, Misty Hazel and Sandy Willis seek four seats.
In Equality Township, Jimmy Bayer is being challenged for his position as highway commissioner by former Equality mayor Lee Parker.
And harkening back to the debacle in 2009 in Equality Township and irresponsibility in such offices, the position of township supervisor is being challenged by three: David Casey, Doggie Poshard and Bill Springer.
Within the village of Equality, there’s a race for village clerk amongst Patricia A. Barnes, Brittany N. Johnson and April M. Bilski.
Still trying to pass PST
Gallatin County authorities are once again using the threat of increasing property taxes as the reason to vote for the public question on the ballot county-wide, that of the public safety tax, which failed just last year, and which has been severely abused in other counties in downstate Illinois…so it’ll likely fail again, and taxes will likely be raised, which they are under PSTs anyway in most situations.