For many Miller County voters, the foremost issue on today's ballot is the tax question.
Shall Miller County impose a countywide sales tax of of a percent per $100 valuation to raise money to provide law enforcement services.
If passed, the tax would free up revenue the county can use for other needs, County Sheriff Louie Gregoire said.
The tax will bring in approximately $1.4 million annually, Gregoire said. Also, it will free up about $870,000 the county budgets for the sheriff's office.
It's true that it will likely bring in more money than the county already spends on the sheriff's office, but the county can't give the office enough money to properly protect its residents, Gregoire said.
His department is understaffed and could use more revenue to hire (and retain) more deputies.
"I'm all for it. We need more coverage," Gregoire said. "We don't have enough deputies on the road."
And the deputies the county has are underpaid, he said.
"The pay is much lower than pretty much agencies all around us," he said.
If it weren't for a Missouri Department of Public Safety Grant - which helps increase deputy pay by about $6,000 annually - the department would have even less staff.
At this point, Gregoire is able to employ only two deputies per shift to cover the entire county.
Two incumbents on the Cole County R-5 School Board (Eugene) are running to retain their seats - President Ryan Carrender and Vice President Jennifer Bradley. They are opposed by Sarah Strobel (voters will each select two candidates). The winners will serve three-year terms.
Board members are also up for election in Iberia R-5 School District. Ralf Trusty, Dusty Russell and Iva (Ruthie) Nelson are running for two seats. Voters will select two. The top-two vote-getters are to serve three-year terms.
Valarie Kesel, Alysha O'Neil and Jim Plassmeyer are running for two three-year seats on the St. Elizabeth R-4 School Board. Voters will select two. The top two voter-getters are elected.
Three people are running for two seats on the Rocky Mount Fire Protection District - Tamara Witzman, Pamela Bess, Sandra Cramer and Donald Isaac. Voters select two and the top two receive the seats.
Some districts overlap county lines.
Chris Moore and Jason Wray are running for a seat on the Moreau Fire Protection District.
There are a number of races for aldermen in Eldon, where each ward is represented by two people.
Incumbent Eldon aldermen Patricia Crockett, Ward 1, and Jerome Atteberry, Ward 2, each were unopposed. This is Crockett's first election after being appointed to fill a seat when her predecessor moved out of the district.
Incumbent Bryon Hull, Ward 3, faces a challenge from Steve Scrivner. The races are for two-year terms.
Clancy Boots and Jayna Gray are running to see which fills an empty seat in Ward 3. The winner will serve one year.
Lake Ozark Mayor Gerry Murawski is running for re-election. He is faced by Johnnie Franzeskos.
Also in Lake Ozark, voters will decide on three aldermen and on lengths of terms for aldermen and mayor.
Iberia voters will choose their mayor and two aldermen. Also in Iberia, voters will decide on a 1 percent sales tax for public safety improvements.