The 2021 general election is complete and several local governing bodies will look a little different in the new year.
In the race for USD 253 Emporia, three new members were elected to serve for the next four years. Jami Reever was the unofficial overall vote-getter with 1,972 votes.
She says as a board member she will strive to always put the needs of students, teachers and staff first.
Lillian Lingenfelter was the second-highest vote-getter with 1,770 unofficial votes. Lingenfelter, a social studies and history teacher at Peabody-Burns, believes her experience in the classroom will give her a unique perspective to serve the district.
Also newly elected to the board was Dr. Jennifer Thomas with 1,763 unofficial votes. Thomas was unavailable for comment.
Incumbent Mike Crouch finished fourth in the election with 1,669 unofficial votes and will be ending a sixteen-year career on the school board at the end of his current term. Crouch congratulated the new members and offered some advice as they prepare to take their seats on the board saying cohesiveness will be their greatest asset in serving the district.
Dr. Christina Faulkner finished with 1,543 unofficial votes and declined a taped interview, however, she stated her “congratulations to Jennifer Thomas, Jami Reever and Lillian Lingenfelter” on their election and wished to thank to everyone who supported her campaign. Pastor Paul Meinke finished with 968 unofficial votes and did not respond to requests for an interview.
The Emporia City Commission will have the least amount of change in the coming year with just one new member joining the governing body as Jamie Sauder was elected to fill the soon-to-be-vacant seat of outgoing commissioner Jon Geitz. Sauder finished with 1,435 unofficial votes and comes to the commission at a time where significant change is ongoing.
Sauder says he is proud to be a part of that change and hopes it will positively impact the Emporia community.
Incumbents Danny Giefer and Susan Brinkman were both re-elected to the commission with Giefer receiving the highest unofficial vote total of 2,005 and Brinkman finishing with 1,588. Giefer says there has been a lot of significant progress made by the commission in recent years and he looks forward to the opportunity to continue it.
Brinkman says she is proud to be chosen to continue serving Emporia as a member of the commission.
Travis Hitt finished in fourth with 1,156 unofficial votes, Jeremy Hinkle finished with 1,130 and William Garner with 519. All three did not respond to a request for an interview.
In addition to the city council, mayoral and school board races Tuesday evening, voters also had their say on a number of special questions in the KVOE listening area. This includes an extension of Lyon County’s one-cent sales tax for a period of 15 years.
Voters voted in favor of the extension by an unofficial final of 3,438 yes votes to 1,650 no votes. Lyon County Commission Chair Rollie Martin is happy the voters chose to continue the tax and says it is one of the few taxes which county residents can see the results of first hand.
The sales tax was first collected in 2009 and extended in 2012. With this extension, the tax will now continue through 2037.
Lyon County Clerk Tammy Vopat was extremely thankful for the work of her staff and for the county residents who turned out to cast their ballots. Vopat says the unofficial voter turnout percentage was right around 25 percent which she says is somewhat higher than past local election percentages.
Vopat says there were 74 provisional ballots collected during the general election cycle. All results are unofficial until the vote canvas on Tuesday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
Additional election results are available below.
Story by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
Tuesday 10:21 pm
KVOE News is following these races as part of the November 2021 general election.
Lyon County
Emporia City Commission (vote for three)
Danny Giefer 2005
Susan Brinkman 1588
Jamie Sauder 1435
Travis Hitt 1156
Jermy Hinkle 1130
William Garner 519
USD 253 Emporia Board of Education (vote for three)
Jami Reever 1972
Lillian Lingenfelter 1770
Jennifer Thomas 1763
Mike Crouch 1669
Christina Faulkner 1543
Paul Meinke 968
Lyon County one-percent sales tax 15-year extension
Yes 3438
No 1650
Admire City Council (vote for three)
Write-in 43
Allen City Council (vote for three)
Jessie Niedfeldt 42
Kathy Jackson 38
Harold Buckbee 21
Robert Mason 19
Americus Mayor (vote for one)
Dustin Wright 111
Jesse McKee 64
Americus City Council (vote for two)
Britney Hinrichs 138
Lea Hamlin 121
Veronica Dean 56
Bushong Mayor (vote for one)
Gary Smith 5
Bushong City Council (vote for two)
Dianne Smith 2
Christina Atchison 2
Hartford City Council Position 2
Nicholas Bess 69
Hartford City Council Position 4
Ashley Meyer 41
Jennifer St. Bonnett 33
Neosho Rapids Mayor
Dallas Shepherd 50
Neosho Rapids City Council (vote for five)
Brian Shank 62
Cody Barrett 61
Matt Martin 56
Karla Mendoza 44
Tess Shepherd 35
Larry Masenthin 26
Olpe City Council (vote for three)
Rick Jones 111
Leslie Farr 81
Michelle Dedmon 69
John Hayes 63
Robert Sieberns 38
Reading Mayor
Write-in 41
Reading City Council (vote for two)
Mary Ann Newton 43
Billy Paige 37
USD 251 North Lyon County District 1 Position 4
Perry Petersen 125
Tammie Reed 123
USD 251 North Lyon County District 2 Position 5
Josh Hamlin 171
Lynn McAllister 64
USD 251 North Lyon County District 3 Position 6
Thomas Cushing 113
Russ Heins 203
USD 252 Southern Lyon County Position 2
Ryan Gasche 366
Lucas Markowitz 259
USD 252 Southern Lyon County Position 3
Melissa Carson 568
USD 252 Southern Lyon County Position 6
Timothy Bailey 575
Chase County
USD 284 Chase County District 1 Position 2
Mike Spinden 120
USD 284 Chase County District 2 Position 2
Loni Heinen 127
USD 284 Chase County District 3 Position 2
Abbey Vogel 117
Cedar Point Mayor
Write-in
Cedar Point City Council (vote for three)
Write-in
City of Cottonwood Falls Mayor
William Sisson 102
City of Cottonwood Falls City Council (vote for two)
Chris Carathers 102
Bill Kewley 86
City of Matfield Green Mayor
Donnie Swift 17
City of Matfield Green City Council (vote for five)
Katherine Dean 16
Tia Regier 16
Theresa Van Ackeren 13
City of Strong City Mayor
Lydia Simmons 76
Jenny Wagers 17
City of Strong City City Council (vote for three)
Don Britain 54
David Todd Heinen 52
Marie Johnson 34
Tyson Johnson 25
Lisa Vega 69
Special question: Should the sale of liquor by the drink be allowed in public places without a requirement that any portion of gross receipts be from food sales?
Yes 305
No 102
Coffey County
Burlington City Council Ward 1 Position 2
Jerilyn Curtiss 49
Burlington City Council Ward 2 Position 2
Martin Ernst 44
Burlington City Council Ward 3 Position 2
JJ Jasper 67
Gridley City Council (vote for three)
Stella Eccles 44
Justin Daily 41
Greg Yotz 35
Lebo Mayor
Eric Ferguson 65
Write-ins 67
Larry Boden (on ballot but withdrew)
Lebo City Council Position 1
Will Baker 124
Lebo City Council Position 5
James Davies 120
LeRoy Mayor
Steven Cox 52
Christine Williams 13
Write-ins 51
LeRoy City Council (vote for two)
Georgie Eggleston 76
Robert McCann 70
Phyllis Owens 58
New Strawn City Council (vote for three)
David Christiansen 79
Rhonda Taylor 78
Jeanne Haas 62
John Waner 41
Waverly City Council Position 2
Tanner Sipe 71
Waverly City Council Position 4
Kevin McMillen 48
Michael Sprinkle 25
USD 243 Lebo-Waverly Position 3
Matt Hopkins 321
USD 243 Lebo-Waverly Position 5
James Davies 324
USD 243 Lebo-Waverly Position 6
Caroline McWilliams 170
Ryan Durst 164
Terry Romig 30
USD 244 Burlington Position 4
Ronald Hess 52
USD 244 Burlington Position 5
Monique Hart 33
USD 244 Burlington Position 6
Lucas Allen 39
USD 245 Southern Coffey County District 2 (vote for three)
Crystal Decker 177
Craig Nickel 172
Greenwood County
Climax Mayor
Write-in 11
Climax City Council (vote for five)
Write-in 47
Eureka City Council Precinct Ward 1
Richard Drake 55
Eureka City Council Precinct Ward 2
Heather Lewis 37
Eureka City Council Precinct Ward 3
Write-in 55
Hamilton Mayor
Scott Ledford 40
Hamilton City Council (vote for three)
Donald Derryberry 22
Joe Beeman 18
Madison Mayor
Paul Dean 36
Madison City Council (vote for two)
Nicholas Cherry 33
Virgil Mayor
Write-in 9
Virgil City Council (vote for three)
Kitty Jardot 6
USD 386 Madison Position 4
Write-in
USD 386 Madison Position 5
Jennifer Watts 80
USD 386 Madison Position 6
Dallas Luthi 79
USD 389 Eureka Position 4
Mike Pitko 59
USD 389 Eureka Position 5
Write-in 28
USD 389 Eureka Position 6
Brian Mongeau 56
USD 390 Hamilton (vote for three)
Michael Mallek 50
Morris County
Council Grove Mayor
Mark Brooks 102
Kelley Judd 127
Debi Schwerdtfeger 260
Council Grove City Council Ward 1
Keith Wessel 107
Council Grove City Council Ward 2
Mark Berner 73
Stephen McKnight 30
Council Grove City Council Ward 3
Sean Honer 132
Diane Colby White 106
USD 417 Morris County District 1 Position 4
Jamie Johnson 316
Louise Madrigal Silva 84
Jay Troxell 278
USD 417 Morris County District 2 Position 5
TinaRae Scott 550
USD 417 Morris County District 2 Position 6
Kelsey Hartman 351
Deidre Knight 327
Osage County
Melvern Mayor
Lyndon Weddle 33
Melvern City Council
Daniel Bowers 28
Eric Vogeler 26
Lyndon City Council
Kevin Heit 75
Kathryn Shepard 73
Darin Schmitt 69
Osage City City Council Ward 1
Write-in 15
Osage City City Council Ward 2
Karey Heiserman 50
Osage City City Council Ward 3
Jeannette Swartz 107
USD 420 Osage City Position 5B
Todd Peterson 295
Jay Bailey 251
USD 420 Osage City Position 6C
Corey Linton 414
USD 421 Lyndon Position 1B
Lori Sturdy 155
USD 421 Lyndon Position 2B
Bryant Derley 150
USD 421 Lyndon Position 3B
Melissa Herdman 150
USD 456 Marais des Cygnes Position 4 District 1
Mark Lacey 107
USD 456 Marais des Cygnes Position 5 District 2
Write-in 15
Osage City Special Question: Extending 0.5-percent sales tax for maintenance, repair and improvements through March 31, 2023
Yes 315
No 83
Wabaunsee County
Harveyville Mayor
Dustin Kuntz (write-in) 17
Chris Tomlinson (write-in) 2
Harveyville City Council (vote for two)
Judy Price 29
Kile Riggin (write in) 8
Tari Naylor (write in) 2
Joe Smalley (write in) 2
Tony Loveland (write in) 1
Theresa Naylor (write in) 1
