The city of Belle has new aldermen for Wards 1 and 2 following the Tuesday elections.

In Ward 1, Josh Seaver will fill the two-year term after receiving 22 votes in the Osage County precinct and 14 votes in the Maries County precinct for a total of 36 votes.

“Thanks to everybody who voted for me,” Seaver said. “I look forward to serving the community again.”

Seaver’s opponent Deborah Turnbough received 16 votes in the Maries County precinct, and seven votes along with one absentee vote on the Osage County side for a total of 24 votes.

Seaver will replace Alderman Courtney Abel who did not run for re-election.

Taking former alderman Tony Gieck’s seat in Ward 2, Ken Stanfield won with 47 votes, trumping his three opponents.

“The town is headed in the right direction,” Stanfield said. “A great day for Belle.”  

Larry Walters came in second for Ward 1 with 31 votes; followed by Kayla Bray with 18 votes; and Terry Connors with four votes.

Gieck stepped down earlier this year in protest of a board decision to keep an employee he thought should be terminated. His regular term was up in April 2021.

Maries R-2 Board of Education had two seats to fill and three candidates. While the Bland precinct was not accounted for at press time at 8:30 p.m., The Advocate called the race for the following.

Aaron Vandegriff received 187 votes (Maries County precinct had 140 votes and Osage County precinct with 47 votes) followed by incumbent Kenda Sanders with 173 votes (Maries County precinct with 118 votes and Osage County precinct with 55 votes) filled the two open seats.

Third candidate Ralicia Tyler received the least votes with 103 total, including 79 votes in the Maries County precinct and 24 votes in the Osage County precinct.

According to poll judges at the Catholic Church on the Maries County side at 7:53 a.m., only 20 citizens had been in to vote in the first two hours, with only 250 expected. 

At the Belle-Bland Community Center on the Osage County side, poll judges expected a 50 voter turnout at best.

City Clerk Rhonda Rodgers was not able to provide the percentage of the election turnout since not all precincts were in. These are unofficial election results until they can be approved by individual entities.

In Bland, Gasconade County Clerk Lesa Lietzow’s deputy clerk reported an estimated 6.7 percent voter turnout.

There were three aldermen at-large seats open on the Bland Board of Aldermen including Diana Mayfield, Mark Farran, and Ned Steiner. Each candidate received 18 votes. All of them will be serving on the board.

The city of Bland’s Proposition A use tax to support the Bland Police Department failed by 13 “no” votes and eight “yes” votes.

Bland aldermen asked citizens to vote “no” on the tax in March after realizing that incorrect wording in the ballot language changed the requested tax from a local sales tax to an online use tax. They plan to run a request for a Bland Police Department sales tax on the April 2022 ballot.