The April 2 municipal elections in Belle and Vienna resulted in the following bond and representative appointments:

Vienna-area voters approved questions posed by the Maries R-1 School District and Maries-Osage Ambulance District (MOAD) when they went to the polls last week. Voter turnout in the area’s seven precincts was 10.82 percent with 296 ballots cast.

Proposition K.I.D.S., which allows the Maries R-1 School District to borrow $2 million to implement safety and security measures, upgrade heating and cooling systems, update restrooms and repair and renovate other facilities, passed with 223 “yes” votes to 72 “no” votes (75.59 percent to 24.41 percent).

The day after the election, Maries R-1 Superintendent Teresa Messersmith said the district was thankful for the community members who went to vote in support of the bond issue.

“We are very proud of our Maries R-I community,” she said. “An investment in our school buildings is an investment in our students. It is inspiring to see our community come together for our students today, and for generations to come. We recognize that our voters have agreed to this bond issue with the expectation that the funds will be well and carefully spent and we plan to meet these expectations.”

The two candidates for the Maries R-1 Board of Education, Lori Hayes and Kevin Heavin, won election to the board to replace outgoing members Dave Garro and Mike Kleffner. Out of 296 ballots cast, Hayes received 260 votes while Heavin received 211 votes. There were four unresolved write-in votes.

The Maries-Osage Ambulance District (MOAD) asked voters if the district should annex the area around Meta previously covered by COMM-Unity Ambulance. The annexation had to pass with both the voters in the annexation area and the voters in MOAD’s existing coverage area.

The annexation passed 28 votes to two votes (93.33 percent to 6.67 percent) with voters in the annexation area. In MOAD’s existing Maries County area, the question passed 241 votes to 40 votes (85.77 percent to 14.23 percent). Osage County voters in MOAD’s area approved the question 27 votes to nine votes (75 percent to 25 percent).

Incumbent MOAD board member Eileen Smith one reelection with 64 votes. There was also one unresolved write-in vote.

In Vienna’s North Ward, 42 voters cast ballots. Unresolved write-in votes numbered 18 against 17 for incumbent Alderman Rita Juergens.

In the South Ward, 24 voters cast ballots. No candidate was on the ballot to replace outgoing Alderman Brenda Davis, but nine people cast write-in votes for consideration. Fred Shiver led the write-in field with four votes. Kevin Green received two votes. Christopher W. Slocum and Gary Squires each received one vote. The other vote remained unresolved after counting write-in votes.

Belle Board of Aldermen and the Maries County R-2 School District collectively drew 385 voters in the Maries County Belle Precinct, 113 in the Osage County Precinct, and 58 at the Gasconade County Bland Precinct to select their next public representatives.

Belle Board of Aldermen will feature former officials in the mayoral seat and both Ward 1 and Ward 2 aldermen positions after the April 10 meeting.

Alderman James (Pudd) Mitchell, who has been acting as mayor pro tem since Mayor Daryl White, Jr. was charged on allegations of misdemeanors, stealing and official misconduct on Dec. 20, 2023,  won a two-year mayoral seat with 110 of 195 votes cast. He prevailed over challenger Tracey A. Creswell who received 72 votes.

Mitchell’s Ward 2 seat was a two-way race between former mayor Steven F. Vogt and former marshal Terry Connors. Vogt triumphed with 101 votes of 119 ballots cast. Connor’s received 14 votes.

Former alderman Jeanette Struemph secured the Ward 2 seat for a two-year term with 44 votes out of 76 total ballots cast. Alderman Emily Williams, appointed and sworn in by White on Oct. 25, 2023, to fill the vacancy left by Struemph due to health reasons, garnered 28 votes.

Maries County R-2 Board of Education had one declared candidate for two seats — each with a three-year term. Write-in votes determined the winner of the second seat.

According to a written statement on the official election results from Osage County Clerk Nicci Kammerich, “Kenda Sanders was a filed candidate and will be elected for one of the positions. The other position is to be appointed from the names listed above.”

Maries R-2 Board incumbent Kenda Sanders will retain her seat with 311 votes: 185 in Maries County, 71 in Osage, and 55 in Gasconade precincts.

Official election results on Monday morning revealed Paul Shanks was the winner of the write-in vote with a total of 104 votes: 68 in Maries, 33 in Osage, and three in Gasconade precincts.

In addition to Shanks, write-ins in Maries County included Terry Connors, Tom Keller, Trent Kinsey, and Daryl White, Jr., each receiving one vote. Aaron Vandegriff, retiring incumbent,  Terry Seymour, and Bruce Shanks each received two votes. Brent Stratman was listed as receiving no votes.

Write-ins in Osage County included Bruce Shanks, Paula Shanks, and Lucas Jones each receiving one vote.

In Gasconade County, write-in candidates were Anna Wofford, Joey Butler, and one unresolved name each received one vote.    

Bland residents voted to determine the next mayor and two aldermen at large.

Alderman Merrilee Spurgeon who has been acting as mayor and alderman since Kenny Sullinger resigned in April 2023 for health reasons, ran unopposed for the mayoral seat. Spurgeon received 27 votes from 35 ballots cast.

Two aldermen at-large seats are open — one for a one-year term and the second for a two-year term.

Shari Morgan won the two-year term seat after receiving 25 votes. She secured the seat with a three-vote margin against challenger Patricia Burt who received 22 ayes out of a total of 35 votes cast.

A second alderman at-large seat with a one-year term had no declared candidates and seven write-in nominations.

Sue Lincoln had the majority support with two votes.

Janie Smith, Charles Ryan, Kimberly Schlottog, Brady Hicks, Billy Heidbreder, and Matt Dittman each received one vote.

Candidates will be reviewed during the next Bland Board of Aldermen meeting.

Belle aldermen plan to certify election results and swear in new members at 6:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 10 during the monthly meeting.

Maries County R-2 plans to announce its election certification meeting soon.