The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

 

Published April 11, 2018

Voters speak on higher taxes

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – One fire department tax increase has been approved by voters while two others went down in flames in the April 3 election.

In Camden County, the Mid-County Fire Protection District asked voters to approve a tax levy increase of “not more than nineteen cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation.”

Voters said no with 54.25 percent against (574 votes) and 45.75 percent for the increase (484 votes).

The Northwest Fire Protection District was asking for two tax increases on the ballot: one for “not more than 23 cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation” and the other for “not more than 37 cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation.”

Both increases were voted down by voters in Camden County with the 23 cent increase receiving 60 percent no (279 votes) and 40 percent yes (186 votes).

The second increase, 37 cents, was also defeated in the county with 64.32 percent no (301) and 35.68 percent yes (167 votes).

In Osage Beach, however, voters did approve a tax increase for the fire department. The district was asking permission to raise the levy by “not more than fifteen cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation.”

The measure passed in Camden County with 60.93 percent for (340 votes) and 39.07 percent against (218), and also passed in Miller County with 51.45 percent for (124 votes) and 48.55 percent against (117 votes).

(The Osage Beach Fire Protection District covers part of Camden and Miller Counties).

In other financial issues on the ballot last week, many voters in Camden, Miller and Morgan Counties had the opportunity to vote on the School of the Osage to issue $23,000,000 in general obligation bonds.

Camden County voters said yes with 62.20 percent for (520 votes) and 37.80 percent against (316 votes).

Miller County voters also approved the bonds with 64.62 percent in favor (461 votes) and 45.38 percent against (383 votes).

Voters in Morgan County voted no to the bond issue with eight votes against and six votes for the measure.

The total for all three counties was 987 votes for and 707 against.

The city of Laurie asked voters in Camden and Morgan County to approve $1.6 million in revenue bonds for the waterworks system. Both counties said yes with Camden voters voting 100 percent for it (two votes) and Morgan County votes coming in at 55 for and 20 against.

Offices were also filled in several Municipality races.

Camdenton

• Eric Faes won for Alderman in Ward 1 (one year term)
• Bonnie (Blankenship) Black won for Alderman Ward 1 (two year term)
• Sandy Gentry won for Alderman Ward 2
• Gary Shepherd also won for Alderman ward 2

Lake Ozark

• Gerry Murawski won for Alderman Ward 3
• Dennis Klautzer won for Ward 2
• Pat Thompson won for Ward 1

Osage Beach

• John Olivarri retained his position as mayor
• Kevin Rucker was re-elected as Alderman for Ward 1
• Phyllis Marose also was re-elected to the Ward 2 office
• Tom Walker won for Ward 3
• Lee Schuman won for City Collector

Laurie
• Allen Kimberling won the office of Mayor
• Jeff Chorpening won for Ward 1
• Herb Keck won for Ward 2

Stoutland

• Jacob Gormley won for Alderman Ward 1
• Dustin Britzman win for Mayor

The office of Councilman for Stoutland was a close race with Kristin Brent apparently winning by one vote over Marie Brown.

In Camden County, Brown received 25 votes while Brent received 23.

However, in Laclede County, Brent received eight votes and Brown received only five.

That came to 31 votes total for Brent and 30 for Brown.

Voters in Versailles overwhelmingly approve a sales tax increase for the fire department.

“Shall the municipality of Versailles, Missouri impose a sales tax of one-quarter of one percent on all retail sales for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Versailles City Fire Department?”

Voters cast 154 ballots for and 52 against the increase.

The full election results for all three counties can be found on their respective websites under the County Clerk section. The web addresses of all three counties are:

Camden County: www.camdenmo.org
Miller County: www.millercountymissouri.org
Morgan County: http://www.morgan-county.org

All content is Copyright 2018 by Reporter Publishing, L.L.C. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited without written permission.