Sen. Caleb Rowden’s Column – April 12, 2018

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April 12, 2018

Senator Caleb Rowden’s Column for the Week of April 9, 2018


 

Local elections were held last week in both Boone and Cooper Counties. Several important offices and measures were included on the ballot. Exercising our right to vote is a privilege and one of the foundations of our republic. If you missed this election, know that there are two more opportunities to vote this year. Both the primary election on August 7 and the general election on November 6 are perfect opportunities to participate in the democratic process.

Local elections are sometimes challenging for voters because information about candidates can be more difficult to find than those running at the state and national level; however, these elections are very important and impact our community directly. Voting in local elections keeps our elected officials accountable and provides the opportunity to create change from the ground up. Additionally, individual votes matter substantially in local elections because the margins between candidates are much smaller—making your vote extremely valuable!

Congratulations to all of the newly elected officials from Boone and Cooper Counties and thank you for your public service to your communities.

Boone County

Boone Hospital Board of Trustee: Greg Steinhoff

Board of Education – Columbia School District: Susan Blackburn and Teresa Maledy

Board of Education Southern Boone County R-I: Joseph Miller and Kristopher Harmon

Board of Education Hallsville R-IV: Jessica Hassler and Tonya Schleeter

Board of Education Centralia R-VI: Harvey Million, Jr. and Erle Bennett

Board of Education Harrisburg R-8:  Josh Stephenson and Collin McBride

Mayor of Hallsville: Logan Carter

Board of Trustees Town of Hartsburg: Bruce Begeman and Jim Hertz

Trustee Town of McBaine: Virginia Coleman and Marvin Sapp

Board of Trustees Village of Pierpont: Edward John and Jim Haynie

Columbia City Council – Ward 2: Mike Trapp

Columbia City Council – Ward 6: Betsy Peters

Alderman Ward 1 – Ashland: Danny Clay and Leslie Martin

Alderman Ward 2 – Ashland: Richard Sullivan

Alderman Ward 3 – Ashland: Rick Lewis

Alderman Ward 1 – Centralia: Don Bormann

Alderman Ward 2 – Centralia: Don Rodgers and Robert Hudson, Jr.

Alderman Ward 3 – Centralia: Landon Magley

Alderman Ward 1 – Hallsville: Trynton Roberts

Alderman Ward 2 – Hallsville: Darren Maher

Alderman Ward 1 – Rocheport: Cee Jaye Pecorak

Alderman Ward 2 – Rocheport: Mike Friedemann

Alderman Ward 1 – Sturgeon: Zane Arends

Board of Directors Boone County Fire Districts: Bill Watkins and David Ritchie

Cooper County

Mayor of Boonville: Edward “Ned” Beach

Boonville City Councilman Ward 1: Steve Young

Boonville City Councilman Ward 2: Susan Meadows

Boonville City Councilman Ward 3: Brent Bozarth

Boonville City Councilman Ward 4: Henry Hurt

Village of Windsor Place Board of Trustees: Randon Leathers and Steve Gilson

Village of Wooldridge Board of Trustees: Kurt Heiss and Alexis Nixon

Mayor of Bunceton: Justin Hein

Bunceton City Collector: Dawn Kuster

Bunceton City Council West Ward: Wendell Cunningham

Bunceton City Council East Ward: John Breshears

Bunceton R-IV Board of Education: Ashley Benny

Prairie Home City Council West Ward: Cindy Lenger

Prairie Home City Council East Ward: David Gann

Prairie Home R-V Board of Education: Rachel Lock and Amanda Cantrell

Blackwater R-II Board of Education: Stephanie Schuster-Day and Amanda Green Blank

Blackwater Area Fire Protection District Board of Directors: Edward Faherndorf, Jr.

Otterville R-VI Board of Education: David Morrison and Wilma Watring

Cooper County Fire Protection District Board of Directors: Russell Gerling and Howard Draffen

The next opportunity to vote will be on Aug. 7, 2018, in the primary elections. For Boone County residents, election and polling information can be found at https://www.showmeboone.com/clerk/elections/. Residents of Cooper County can find their election information at http://www.coopercountymo.gov/clerks.html. To register as a voter in Missouri, visit https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/register.

I am here to serve you, and my office door is always open to your questions, concerns and suggestions. You can reach my staff at 573-751-3931, and you can visit www.senate.mo.gov/rowden for an array of legislative and constituent resources.