Some residents of Blaine County woke up with a new title this morning, because Tuesday was election day.
Statewide there were races for towns, school boards and some local questions. There were multiple races in the county, but Election Secretary Brenda Rice said Monday that early voter turnout had been light.
There were nine candidates for three seats at Canton Board of Trustees. Those running were Carol Baird, Wanda Baker, Dean Cavett, Terry McVickers, Justin Schaumberg, Ruth Stephens, Deloris Rensch, Deborah Robinson and Cleophas Wooley.
The three top vote getters will be seated on the board and they are Dean Cavett with 20.6% of the vote; Robinsons with 19.4% and McVickers with 18.81 %.
Running to fill an unexpired term on the board of trustees were Roger Gibson and Misty Martin- Sullins. Gibson won the seat with 71.72%.
There were two questions in Canton as well. They dealt with how the town staff was determined, whether the mayor – who is selected from the board of trustees – should appoint the town clerk and treasurer with board approval. That question failed There were also two candidates for the Canton School Board, Darren Cavett and Shannon Sinclair. Sinclair was electedwith 54.43% of the vote.
Over in Okeene, there was a race for the school board between Sandy Boeckman and Bennet Peters, with Boeckman winning the seat with 62.38% of the vostes cast..
Here in Watonga, there was a single race for city council, with two other seats being filled by Ryan Bruner and Bill Seitter, who were unopposed. In Ward 4, challenger Willis Bedard faced off against incumbent Travis Bradt, with Bradt retaining his seat 71.63% to 28.37%.
The hot button topic in the election was two questions about Watonga Mercy Hospital. The city has long supported the hospital by collecting two cents sales tax, money that is earmarked for the operations of the facility. Mercy had indicated it would have to seriously reconsider whether it could maintain a presence in Watonga without the additional two pennies, which have amounted to some $9 million since the not-for-profit took over the dilapidated building and business.
Proponents said the town needs a hospital at all costs; opponents said Mercy’s threat to leave town was a scare tactic.
That tax passed handily with the voters saying the need was there and they were willing to support it with 65.58% and 60.75% voting yes, respectively.
The Watonga school board seat was never at issue, since incumbent Andy Wigington was unopposed.
The Geary election was something of a hot mess. There were six residents running for mayor in a town that has been the scene of multiple eyepopping events recently. In one instance, a weapon went off near the elementary school, with no one taken into custody or the carpet by a split city council to answer accusations of an alleged affair with a city employee. A camera at city hall captured footage of the city employee being physically assaulted by the chief’s wife. He was summarily fired but allowed a severance package on a tiebreaking vote by the lame duck mayor.
Into that fray waded the candidates – Trey Carter, Courtney Ferguson, Robert Haley, Micah Penrod, Robert Smith and Waylan Upchego – with Upchego coming out on top. Even though Upchego only garnered 43.96% of the vote, there will be no runoff.
Geary also had votes for a city clerk/treasurer, with Paula Reding outdistancing Kim Lewis and Lois Hicks coming in third. On the school board, Kendra Houston was elected, defeating Amy Wood 76.15 % to 23.85 %.
Editor’s note: the candidates are primarily listed in alphabetical order. These results are not official until the election hs been certified by the election board, which will is scheduled for Friday. The election board will work that day, even though the courthouse is closed for Good Firiday.