Scotland County voters decide city, village and water district races Tuesday
SCOTLAND COUNTY — Scotland County voters rejected the countywide Homestead Property Tax Credit question in Tuesday’s General Municipal Election, while approving the Consolidated Public Water Supply District No. 1 bond question and electing candidates in races in Memphis and several smaller communities. The ballot also included races for Memphis city offices, Gorin aldermen and village trustee positions in Arbela, Granger and Rutledge.
In the countywide question, voters were asked whether Scotland County should exempt eligible taxpayers from certain tax increases on their primary residences above the liability incurred during the initial credit year. The measure failed, with 283 voting no and 204 voting yes. There were four undervotes.
In the Consolidated Public Water Supply District No. 1 Board Member race, Eugene Spray defeated Darin Weiler, 176 votes to 79. There were two write-in votes, 18 undervotes and one overvote. Voters also approved the district’s bond question by a vote of 210 to 61, with five undervotes. The question asked whether the district should be allowed to issue up to $15 million in waterworks system revenue bonds to extend and improve the water system, including land acquisition, rights of way and other system upgrades. Those bonds would be paid solely from water system revenues rather than through property taxes.
In Memphis, David M. Ahland was elected mayor with 171 votes. There were eight write-in votes and 31 undervotes in that race. In the East Ward alderman race, Lane Campbell defeated Steve Hilpert, 61 to 44, with one write-in vote and three undervotes. In the West Ward alderman race, George Meier defeated Jobe Justice, 57 to 40. That race also included two write-in votes and two undervotes.
In Gorin, the mayor’s race drew nine write-in votes. The East Ward alderman race had four write-in votes and one undervote. Dorothy Kussman received three votes to win the West Ward alderman seat for the two-year term, while Page Ross received three votes to win the one-year West Ward alderman term. Each of those races had one undervote.
In Arbela, voters elected Dennis Giberson, Gordon Wiley and Deirdre “Dee” Wiley as village trustees, with each receiving six votes. In Granger, the village trustee race produced 15 write-in votes and 13 undervotes. In Rutledge, Barbara Moore and Robert Hoover each received four votes, while Wesley H. Weiler received three to win the three available village trustee seats. One write-in vote was also cast. Rutledge voters also approved a village question authorizing officials to forego annual elections when the number of candidates filing matches the number of open positions, meaning no election would be required in uncontested races. The measure passed 4-0.
