Columbia's Ward 4 has new representation on the city council. Voters also approved the 1% public safety sales tax in the city.
Sharon Geuea Jones was selected with 3,930 votes in the special election. Just more than 1,000 votes separated her from former Columbia Utilities Director Dave Sorrell, who received 2,926 votes. Columbia attorney Ryan King received 812 votes.
Jones since 2020 has served on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and since 2022 has served as its chair. In her professional life, Jones is a civil rights attorney.
Because of the special election's timing after the resignation of former Ward 4 council member Nick Foster, the first priority for Jones is the city's budget.
"I want to make sure we have some transparency on what we're actually spending and not just what we hope to spend," she said, adding other priorities are on accountability concerns around short-term rentals, water projects and overhauling council meetings so they don't extend into the wee hours, as happened Monday night, Aug. 3.
Jones will serve out the remainder of Foster's term. He was reelected last year, so the term runs through April 2028.
She indicated support for Columbia Prop 1, the public safety sales tax, insofar as needing a dedicated funding source for any potential bond projects. Had the vote gone the other way on Prop 1, the Tribune asked if there was a situation where a general fund bond could happen for public safety infrastructure projects.
"That's harder to do because of how our general revenue works. It really needs to be a dedicated funding source before the bond agencies will approve it, but I would be supportive of that if we could make it work," Jones said.
Jones' election means for the first time in its history every member of Columbia's city council and mayor are women. This still means there are various perspectives among council membership, she said.
"It shows the community that not all women are the same," Jones said, noting the backgrounds and professions of other council members. "We've got a scientist, social workers, I'm the only attorney. There's just a variety of people. So, just because we're all female-identified, does not mean we're all the same."
The community should continue working together to make Columbia a wonderful place to live, Sorrell said prior to results fully coming in.
"This has always been a good place to live and I've lived here 39 years. We'll have ups and downs, but don't give up hope," he said.
King hopes Jones can keep some other things in mind, too. Prior to election results coming in, he shared that people he spoke with on the campaign trail were focused on ensuring Ward 4 green spaces, including parks, remained centered around neighborhoods. He also talked about budgetary concerns, Prop 1 and affordable housing. He hopes progress is made on the electric transmission line issue through Ward 5, as well.
Boone County election results are unofficial until certified. County results for statewide and national contests are not necessarily reflective of winners in statewide and national ballots. Primaries are when political parties select candidates for the Nov. 3 general election. The general election is when opposing political parties select representation if there is a contested race. The following results focus on Columbia Proposition 1, statewide amendments and contested primaries.
Columbia voters narrowly approved the 1% public safety sales tax. "Yes" votes totaled 15,042 and "no" votes were 14,957, or 50.1% to 49.8%.
The tax is estimated to generate $38 million annually. In addition to revenue from the tax, the city also plans to allot $60 million from the general fund for public safety. The city expects this will provide budgetary leeway in the general fund and ensure revenue exceeds expenditures, per previous Tribune reporting.
The tax is expected to shore up pension plan debts and the city says it will allow for more staff in police and fire departments, new facility construction and renovations and new equipment purchases.
Boone County voters put their support behind Missouri Constitutional Amendments 1 and 2 and were overwhelmingly against Amendments 4 and 5.
Amendment 1 had 40,009 "yes" votes against the 5,858 "no" votes. This tax is 10-year continuation of a statewide .1% sales tax for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites.
Amendment 2 requires Jackson County (Kansas City) to hold an election for county assessor. The Missouri Constitution previously had a carveout for an appointed assessor role in Jackson County, but voters there earlier approved a ballot measure to convert the county assessor as an elected position, rather than appointed position. Boone County said "yes" to the amendment with 31,094 votes compared to 12,333 "no" votes.
Boone County voters rejected a change to the state's initiative petition process, which was Amendment 4. They logged 39,0928 "no" votes compared to 7,042 "yes" votes.
Amendment 5 also was summarily rejected by Boone County voters, mirroring the statewide result. "No" votes were 39,763 compared to 6,292 "yes" votes. This amendment would have phased out the state income tax and allowed legislators to expand sales and use taxes beyond Hancock Amendment limits, including allowing the General Assembly to adopt taxes on services not previously taxed.
Democrats Bill Ellis and Spencer S. Smith faced off for the nomination for Division 9 judge. Boone County voters selected Ellis with 13,347 votes, compared to Smith with 7,524 votes.
Incumbent Boone County Auditor Kyle Rieman had a challenger in Allen Bel-Long for the Democratic Party primary. Rieman earned 14,700 votes over Bel-Long with 4,754 votes.
Incumbent State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican, was challenged by Gerald (Jerry) Wistrand Jr. Fitzpatrick received 11,184 votes, while Wistrand received 1,727 votes in Boone County. Democrats had to choose between Quentin Wilson and Gregory Upchurch. Wilson was selected by Boone County Democrats with 14,281 votes, over Upchurch with 5,171 Votes.
The Missouri General Assembly last year redrew district maps. Boone County still is split into two districts, but now nearly all of Columbia is in the 3rd Congressional District, while the northwestern portion is in the 5th Congressional District. The redrawn map, which so far has withstood court challenges, gives advantage to Republicans in the 5th District, which has been held by Democrats.
Six Republicans were vying for the 5th District seat. Rick Brattin secured the nomination in Boone County with 1,515 votes, while Boone County local Taylor Burks had 1,355 votes, Brett Hueffmeier received 408 votes, Brad Patty had 406 votes, Micah Beebe had 137 votes and Berton A. Knox had 55 votes.
Incumbent Republican Bob Onder, representing the 3rd District, aims to retain his seat against challenger John G. Fraser. Onder had 6,594 votes, while Fraser had 3,022 votes in Boone County. Three were vying for the Democrat Party nomination for the 3rd District. Bethany E. Mann won Boone County's nomination with 13,797 votes, while Paul T. Wilson had 1,940 votes and Tommy Holstein had 1,912 votes.
Many of the primary races were unopposed with candidates proceeding to the November general election. There also are contests in November with only one filed candidate. So, unless there's a valid write-in campaign, they are presumed to also win in November. While other results were noted as just for Boone County, state and federal elections, with the exception of Missouri House candidates, include those who likely will face off statewide or in congressional districts in November.
Here's how the ballot is shaping up for November:
Republican incumbent Josh Devine for Boone County Division 4 Judge (unopposed)
Democrat incumbent Kimberly Shaw for Boone County Division 5 Judge (unopposed)
Republican James Egan versus Ellis for Boone County Division 9 Judge
Democratic incumbent Kayla Jackson-Williams for Boone County Division 10 Judge (unopposed)
Democrat Roger Johnson for Boone County Division 11 Judge (unopposed)
Rieman for Boone County Auditor (unopposed)
Democrat Brianna Lennon for Boone County Clerk (unopposed)
Democrat Brian C. McCollum for Boone County Collector (unopposed)
Democrat Bob Nolte for Boone County Recorder of Deeds (unoppposed)
Democrat Kip Kendrick for Boone County Presiding Commissioner (unopposed)
Democrat Melissa "Mel" Buchanan for Boone County Prosecuting Attorney (unopposed)
Democrat Sherry Terrell for Boone County Circuit Clerk (unopposed)
Fitzpatrick and Wilson, along with Libertarian Dustin Coffell, will appear on the ballot for Missouri State Auditor.
Incumbent Republican John Martin versus Democrat Bekki Brewer for Missouri House District 44. Both were unopposed at the Aug. 4 primary.
Democratic incumbent Kathy Steinhoff for Missouri House District 45 (unopposed)
Democratic incumbent David Tyson Smith for Missouri House District 46 (unopposed)
Democratic incumbent Adrian Plank for Missouri House District 47 (unopposed)
Democratic incumbent Gregg Bush for Missouri House District 50 (unopposed)
Constitutional Amendment 3 if approved by voters could again ban abortion in the state, along with gender-affirming care for minors. Amendment 7, if approved, would establish a state endowment fund to eventually eliminate state-imposed taxes so long as there is sufficient funding to eliminate the tax. Amendment 8 establishes rules for electing county sheriffs that are already in place, but does make it so the Missouri Attorney General can remove a sheriff from their position. These all are Missouri General Assembly proposed amendments.
Onder and Mann, along with and Libertarian Jim Higgins are expected to seek the 3rd District seat in the U.S. House.
Brattin, incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver and Libertarian Randall (Randy) Langkraehr will seek the 5th District seat in the U.S. House.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia says yes to public safety tax, Ward 4 says yes to Sharon Jones