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Today's Poll!Cole County election results (final)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Cole County
Unofficial Final Results
Democrat
Commission Eastern District: Ed Williams 1182
Commission West District: Len Stella 1257
Public administrator: Marilyn Schmutzler 2219
Republican
Judge Circuit 19, Division 1: Jon Beetem 7655; Steven M. Kretzer 3560
Commission Eastern District: Jeff Hoelscher 4477
Commission Western District: Chris Wrigley 1793; Kris Scheperle 3646; Kevin J. Kelly 788
Sheriff: Greg White 10,613
Assessor: Christopher Estes 9776
Treasurer: Eric Peters 9657
Committeeman JC Ward 1: Jeff Ahlers 699; Jim Lambirth 259
Committeeman JC Ward 3: Doug Thomas 580; Robert Atkinson 712
Committeeman JC Ward 4: Ron Fitzwater 964; Derek Leffert 406
Committeeman Jefferson Township: Rik Combs 661; Roy L. Beal 996
Non-partisan
Library tax question: Yes 6115; No 9014
Jefferson City Prop 1 Annexation (inside city): Yes 6111; No 2695
Jefferson City Prop 1 Annexation (outside city): Yes 10; No 16
Jefferson City Prop 2 Sales Tax: Yes 3816; No 5187
See Also:
Additional election results from the Cole County Clerk's Office
Marry Me
Comments
PatsyDecline 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Congratulations to the good folk of Central Missouri for VOTING NO to BIGGER GOVERNMENT!!
Will the good ole boys downtown get the message?? Doubtful....but it's good to know that we can knock them down as fast as they can stick their hands out.
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!!
hudson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
more taxes,more goverment ! more goverment,more taxes ! less taxes less goverment,less goverment less taxes !
JCLifer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Gotta learn to tighten their belts like the rest of us. Times are very hard for many. The endless supply of tax dollars is gone. Cut the pork and fix the basics, or else keep watching the young folks leave and never come back. Sorry, but the good ol boys and Chamber are killing this town. Stagnant wages, no good-paying jobs, no hope means no faith in our corrupt and lieing leaders.
connor 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Yep a clear indication that the voters are tired of paying for local government officials and employee perks along with whatever silly new building project idea they can come up with. They spend and spend then try and sound all in need of cash for the basics. The voters aren't buying this line anymore it seems.
malmo 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm tired of more taxes!!!!
My business and my household have struggled in the last few years. I have had my income go down and you know what I did? SPEND LESS..........
If the Chamber, Council, Struemph and Nicklaus don't finally get it, they have to go!
rodinman 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Folks, now is he time to try to kill the convention center. The first shovelful of dirt moved for a convention center is the first step towards bankruptcy. Please read Mr Costales' letter in Friday's edition of the newspaper. Send a copy of it to your council rep.
jcbusinessowner 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Its too bad that the firefighters got caught in the middle of this battle between some of you and local government. The needs didn't go away tonight and you may second guess your decision the next time you need emergency services.
Nearly 70% of Cole County households include someone who works for state government - I think I will protest YOUR retirement plans and long list of paid holidays while these guys miss Christmas and all the other holidays to make sure your households are safe.
Enjoy your desk jobs, because firefighters retire with damaged backs, knees, shoulders hips and lungs. The stress, 58 hour work week and often second jobs lead to a 75% divorce rate.
Be sure you take your frustration out on the people YOU elected, not the men and women who might possibly save your life.
Pixie 10 months, 2 weeks ago
It is too bad that the firefighters got caught in the middle - but let us NOT forget that they are already funded by TWO taxes. There IS more than adequate funding available to support the fire department if only the city would quit frittering money away on iPads and new "toys" for themselves and their cronies "downtown". This vote sends a clear message to city hall to tighten their belts. As for the bash on state employees - well the average Jefferson City firefighter makes MORE than the average state employee - and we must consider that all the prices, taxes, and fees have increased for the past 5 years that state employees did NOT receive a pay raise (and incidentially had their retirement and other benefits REDUCED EACH & EVERY year). Missouri is VERY lucky that EVERY service it receives from state government ranks in the top 15% of the nation for efficiency; however we pay the workers dead last. Think about it - slamming on state workers doesn't help anyone and the majority of the claims about "lazy" state workers are flat out falsehoods. What the Jefferson City Council SHOULD be doing is lobbying the Governor, House of Representatives, and Senate to pay state workers a fair and equitable LIVING wage WITH appropriate benefits, instead of larking off on the Conference Center snipe-hunt. If state workers were paid a decent wage, perhaps they would be more inclined to vote for taxes such as this one.
dokeus6 10 months, 2 weeks ago
" I think I will protest YOUR retirement plans"
Sorry to tell you this mr business owner but I'm funding my own retirement plan. The fireman made that career choice. They are adults. Just like a professional football player. They know the risk. If they want to take those risk that is their business not mine. Don't worry we will take the frustration out on the people that have been elected. The people we elected are showing their true stripes. They will get theirs when they are up for re-election.
spelchek 10 months, 2 weeks ago
"while these guys miss Christmas and all the other holidays to make sure your households are safe." -- Mr.jcbusinessowner, did it ever occur to you that missing holidays was understood during the application process? I understand sacrifice but I guarantee these guys/gals are paid extremely well to work on those holidays and potentially without even having to lift a finger. We need firefighters and police protection just as much as they need us. When at first you don't succeed.......
muleman 10 months, 1 week ago
Oh boo hoo. Everyone that works at Wal*mart is guaranteed 1 holiday a year off and thats Christmas. They sure dont make the $ or the benefits that state employees or JCFD make either.
JCsleeper 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Had enough tax increase ballot issues yet ? The JCFD and Library still have their property tax allotments, which will grow as assessments increase and new construction occurs. JC government should realize by now that they are going to have set priorities and take care of basic needs. Time to stop feeding the pets and thier projects.
JCLifer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Basic services! Fire, police, streets, crime, drugs, violence, storm water, code enforcement!!!
spelchek 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Good. We never needed to subsidize a TV station to begin with. Think of all the sidewalks that could have been repaired with that money.
Honestlee 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Fellow citizens,
I hope that one day we can all quit with the personal attacks. I would not be an elected official in this town for twice the meager salary they are paid. We elect officials not to keep the status quo.... no one ever got elected saying "I am not going to do anything if elected; I just want to keep everything the same." So if we don't elect people willing to do nothing why do we persecute those who do try to do something? We elected our officials because we trusted them more than the opposition but for some reason many in this community like to forget about that trust when they ask for us to stand by that vote.
I, like many of you, agree that our economy needs an injection but that is not going to happen by sitting on our tails and doing nothing... it NEVER will. Some have to step up and try to lead us in a positive manner, we elect those individuals... then we spit in their face by calling them crooked, telling them their ideas are stupid, and when they try to follow through with their campaign agenda we tell them to wake up. This I do not understand.
I also don't understand griping about state employees, the fact is we live in Jefferson City, it’s the state capital, you will always have state employees as a vital piece of our economy and therefore one we should try to respect and work with. That being said, for state employees that respect and willingness to work in tandem must be a two way street. You also voted for the local representation and the idea's they proposed while on the campaign trail.
We have a huge building project that has just begun and will provide more and more steady work for the fine people of our community but instead we are just trying to throw dirt on another proposed project that will provide other jobs and assist us in climbing out of our economic predicament. That economic predicament was not created by the mayor, the state worker, the young, the old, the builder of a convention center, the fireman or other emergency personnel, not even those who the community has chosen to annex this evening but by maybe actually working together we can create a better future everyone of us.
When we stop pointing fingers, calling others senseless names, and begin working together maybe we will be able to grow up. Maybe we will be able to come out of the shadow cast by Columbia, the Lake of the Ozarks and other more business friendly and progressive minded Mid Missouri communities and realize the hidden potential within ourselves.
BubbaD 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Nicely said, fully agreed.
Sequoia 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Here here, Honestlee!
spelchek 10 months, 2 weeks ago
"begin working together" -- You mean like the current trash/recycling ordinance (that doesn't accept glass) I didn't get to vote on? Apparently, some citizens disagree with their government (which is very American I might add) and when given the chance to express their opinion via NT forum or a vote, the results aren't that good for government. Could it be that maybe, just maybe, that the minority of people in charge aren't representing their constituents interests/concerns? Perhaps if government would listen to our gripes attitudes would change and cooperation could begin. Until then it appears the only way some projects can move forward is through deceit and misinformation. This only perpetuates the problem that you and I would like to see resolved.
dokeus6 10 months, 2 weeks ago
"Could it be that maybe, just maybe, that the minority of people in charge aren't representing their constituents interests/concerns? "
Spel, I have never met the person who is supposed to represent me on the city council. I don't think they have ever driven or walked through my neighborhood and asked if I had any concerns.
Have you met your city council member?
spelchek 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes, and I nice man while he lasted. I kept up with his opinions on city business via NT and found he had the skills of foresight and logic (a precious commodity these days). I don't know who my current councilman/woman is, I better look that up.
JCLifer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Most all of the council votes are unanimous. There is never much discussion at the council meetings. I don't see much consideration for what my interests and concerns may be-- it is like they have all drank Koolaide and agree to approve every contract with every vendor, consultant, chamber,etc. before they even vote.
A month or so a go a whole bunch of residents along Scenic Drive petitioned to have a set of unneeded stop signs removed from their street. However, the council did not listen to their discusson or honor their requests, even though the city's own traffic engineering agreed that the stop signs were not needed. Stuff like this is just evidence over and over that the council doesn't really care what the tax payers want.
Another issue is the East McCarty Street construction project that began almost a year ago. They are the slowest construction workers and have had a very miled winter and very good weather all spring and summer, but yet this project drags on and on and on. Why doesn't the city light a fire under the contractor or higher another contractor to get it done. Now we hear that this project won't be finished until November. The residents have to put up with noise, mud, construction equipment, road closures, etc. and I would bet any normal contractor could get this job finished in a week or two. Seroiusly- most of the time there is only one guy out their working and many days there is no one. Why isn't the city doing something to get this work done?
connor 10 months, 2 weeks ago
How Poetic. The Progressive government here to right all wrongs while pushing for social justice and gainful employment through public works. And it's for the children as well!!!!
For one thing government is suppose to do precisely what you claim people don't want it to do and that is keep things constant. Yet progressive liberals today seem to think government should constantly push to enact their form of social justice, which isn't justice it is simply changing the victim of injustice from one perceived group unto another.
Government needs to keep things the same so that there is a firm and constant core for the business world to build on. Not some flavor of the month type of building project or social justice experiment.
As soon as State employees pay the same for their benefits and retire at the same age as the private sector, not to mention shell out the money needed to achieve gender parody and attempt to hire as many men as they do women I will be all for leaving them alone.
Your Krugman-esque economics of government footing the bill and creating the jobs is like giving a child nothing but sugar all his life. You will pay for it in the end.
connor 10 months, 1 week ago
I believe in equal chances with equal pay and benefits. I don't care how Missouri ranks against other states in coddling their employees, only how they rank compared to the private sector workers in Missouri. The state and pretty much all government hires many more times women than men and offers retirement years earlier than much harder employment at private companies.
tonto_goldberg 10 months, 1 week ago
That's a pretty revealing post.
JCLifer 10 months, 1 week ago
State workers and retirees are the only thing holding this town together. Can you imagine what a tiny little hole of a town this place would be without state government, even as poor as it is?
RobHunterJohnson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
JC at least you know which ones are Basic, but I dont understand the Drugs and Violence in your list? (LOCK THEM UP) Code enforcement must trip you trigger, and it is an absolute need. Rob
JCLifer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Those of you who are disappointed the tax increases did not pass are still free to write checks every month to support these initiatives. No one is preventing you from paying higher taxes you desire. Pay as much as you can and it will make you feel better. Thank you for your generous support of our community.
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