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 twelfth of the posts, which will conclude Monday and will be run alphabetically between now and then, continuing with White.
White County: Fierce mayor race?
Carmi Mayor David Port, photo originally appearing on the Carmi Times website, displayed under Fair Use Act for purposes of education of voters. Yes, we can do that.
It’s been a somewhat civil contest so far in the city of Carmi where the big ballot draw, as it was four years ago, is again that of mayor.
Incumbent David Port is facing challenges from Bill Mears and Jeff Pollard. However, Port has had a relatively smooth past four years since the mayor before him, Jimmy Gaines, created so much turmoil in the city with his bad habits (not the least of which was issuing derogatory comments about people and entities he didn’t like, from a barstool downtown). Whether Port has been an effective mayor or not is therefore less indicated by what he’s done than by what he hasn’t, so the prevailing sentiment is that he’s probably going to take the nod this election. People enjoy it when there’s an absence of grief and consternation in their city government, and Port has certainly provided that, to his credit.
A big-ticket item in Carmi is also that of city clerk. Four candidates are vying for the position: Harry Fey, Brian K. Allen, Dee Blazier and Irma O’Dell.
Carmi city Aldermen offices up for grabs this election are in Ward 3 (Stephen Winkleman versus Doug Redman) and Ward 4 (Keith Davis versus Leon Groves).
In Crossville, village president Henry Feldman is running unopposed for a second term. However there will be one of four on the ballot that won’t make it to village trustee, as three will be chosen from Konnie R. Harrington, Stephanie Martin, Jeff R. Spencer and Melody Nelson.
No contested races in villages for village pres
No contested races appear for village president on any of the rest of White County’s ballots in the villages of Burnt Prairie (Carroll Dozier); Enfield (Tom Harbour); Mill Shoals (Tim Isaacs); Norris City (Roy Kissell); Phillipstown (Stan Maurer); Springerton (Curtis Rush); and New Haven (Kevin J. Edmonds).
The village of Maunie has no candidates on the ballot for any office (village president, clerk, treasurer and trustees); and, as part of New Haven lies in Gallatin, a White County ballot will be produced that reflects Gallatin’s New Haven ballot and the trustee race there: four-for-three—Amy Lashley, Zella Medlin, Brigitte Browning and Matthew Edmonds.
Township trustee races
Township trustee races to be found on White County ballots will be in Enfield, Carmi, Phillips and Emma townships.
In Enfield Township, it’s four of five where Democrats Karen McKinney and Chris Mitchell and Republicans Mike Row, Bill Williams and Scot Weiss face off.
In Carmi Township, it will be four of five from Democrats Anthony Huffer, Jeff Bohleber, David Hall and Kim Egbert, and Republican Roger W. Heckler, he of the White County Ambulance debacle back in 2006.
Phillips Township has eight to choose from for their four: Herbert G. Woollard, Kyle D. Fenton, Jeff Cox and Ruth Ridenour, all Republicans; and Scott A. Emery, Terry Otis Oeth, Nicholas H. Combs and Cindy Hodgson, all Democrats.
And Emma Township also has four of five: Democrats Danny W. Hale, Terry Frashier, Thomas Scates and Anna Baumgart; and Republican David Delong.
Other contested township races
In Burnt Prairie Twp, a contested race for township highway commissioner will be between Charlie E. Kempton, Democrat, and Alan R. Williams, Republican.
In Phillips Twp, a race for township highway commissioner features Republican Thomas E. Murk and Democrat Denny Coston.
School boards
The Grayville School District has a selection of three school board representatives from five from the incorporated areas—Robert Armstrong, John Stockton, Stephanie Hatcher, Charles Turner and Chad Alldredge—and two from unincorporated areas, Vanessa Fullop and David Kleinschmidt, on the ballots.
In Gallatin County Community Unit School Dist. 7, three will be selected from Michael Blain, Robert Y. Prince, Steven J. McGuire, Richard H. Case and Gary Clayton.
Ballot question for Grayville, Crossville
There is a ballot question for Grayville and for Crossville residents, and it’s the same for both:
Shall the village of Crossville (or on their ballot, the city of Grayville) have hte authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?
This always sounds on the surface like a good idea, as aggregate electricity can be less expensive for the small consumer when buying it from a bulk consumer…unless that bulk consumer decides to tack on delivery fees, usage fees, local fees, etc. So educated decisions need to be made before deciding yes or no.