City governments, school boards comprise Callaway election

Callaway County Clerk Ronda Miller and county maintenance worker Michael Barnes deliver a voting machine to Fulton City Hall on Monday afternoon. Polls open at 6 a.m. for today's general election — which features 15 races, some unopposed, in Callaway County — and close at 7 p.m.
Callaway County Clerk Ronda Miller and county maintenance worker Michael Barnes deliver a voting machine to Fulton City Hall on Monday afternoon. Polls open at 6 a.m. for today's general election — which features 15 races, some unopposed, in Callaway County — and close at 7 p.m.

Callaway County Clerk Ronda Miller isn't sure why April elections aren't more appealing to local voters.

Today's municipal election in Callaway will feature 15 races, some unopposed, that focus on both city government and school boards. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

"Typically, we see anywhere from 10-15 percent turnout for April elections," Miller said. "That always feels strange to me because we're electing school boards and city governments, and they're in charge of a lot of your taxes.

"We always hope for a large turnout."

Miller and Callaway County maintenance worker Michael Barnes had just delivered a voting machine to Fulton City Hall on Monday afternoon. It was the last of 13 machines that Miller and Barnes dropped off at polling sites across the county on Monday.

Today's election will include a pair of contested races for two-year terms on the Fulton City Council. Incumbent Valerie Sebacher faces Mike West in Ward 1, while incumbent Rick Shiverdecker goes up against Lauren Nelson in Ward 4.

Incumbent Jeffrey Stone is running unopposed for another term as Ward 2 councilperson in Fulton. Alan Combs is also running unopposed for the Ward 3 seat.

Eric Palmer Qualls is running unopposed for the two-year term to be Fulton's city attorney.

Meanwhile, incumbents Jacqueline "Jackie" Pritchett and Leah Williamson Baker are squaring off against Tyler Steffens for a pair of three-year terms on the Fulton 58 School District Board of Education.

Incumbents Brent Woods and Micah Benningfield face Caleb James Bartley and Jamey Martin for two, three-year positions on the South Callaway R-2 Board of Education.

On the New Bloomfield R-3 Board of Education, incumbent Amy Reeder Pendleton is running against Craig Abbott and Doug Glick for a pair of three-year terms.

In Auxvasse, current South Ward alderman Ashley Steinbeck is running unopposed for a two-year seat as mayor. Clifford Wenneker is running unopposed for the two-year South Ward alderman seat.

Meanwhile, incumbent Monica Ayers is running against Robin Burch for the two-year North Ward alderman position in Auxvasse.

In Mokane, mayor B. Jo Belmont is running unopposed for another one-year term and Shauna Lenhard is running unopposed for a two-year term as councilperson at-large.

In Holts Summit, Michael D. Harvey and Chris Redel are both running unopposed for two-year terms as Ward 1 and Ward 2 aldermen, respectively.