Voters in the Montgomery County R-II School District unanimously approved a no-tax increase bond issue that will help pay for the improvements in all four of the district buildings.

According to unofficial vote totals, 634 voters (73 percent) were in support of Proposition K.I.D.S., an eight-million dollar no-tax increase bond measure. A total of 232 (27 percent) voters were against it.

The projects include replacing of the boiler and the remodeling of the old restrooms at the high school, renovation of the classrooms and replacing of the old existing roof at JBE, adding additional parking at MCE and replacing windows at the middle school. The school district spent more than six million dollars on improving facilities, four million of which were spent on the high school boiler, which is the most concerning of all of the projects since the high school is the only building in the district that has a one heat source unit.

Also, voters from the City of Wellsville approved that a local use tax should be at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, a liquor license should be given to businesses and residents should forgo annual elections if the number of candidates who have filed for office is equal to the number of positions to be filled.

High Hill voters approved that a $750,000 waterworks and sewerage system should be issued and Bellflowers voters approved that residents should forgo annual elections for six years if the number of candidates who have filed for office is equal to the number of positions to be filled.

Kasey Pottebaum will retain his seat on the R-II school district board as he and Mike Deering were voted as the top two candidates for three-year terms on the board. Pottebaum had 506 votes, while Deering had 477.

In the R-I school district, Danielle Freie and write-in Jacob Carlisle were voted as the top two candidates for the R-I school district board. Freie had 219 votes and Carlisle had 143. Christine Rutherford had 133 votes.

Burton Smith and Jason Carter won contested races for Wellsville Ward II Alderman and New Florence Ward II Alderman, respectively. Smith won with 42 votes, followed by Paula Adams with 33 and Susie Keithley with 28. Carter edged Bradley Kent 24-19.

There were uncontested races for Bellflower Ward I Alderman (Jeff Fischer), Bellflower Ward II Alderman (Dale Harrison), Bellflower Ward III Alderman (Bradley James), High Hill Alderman I (Steve Devlin), High Hill Alderman II (J. Norman Hardin), Jonesburg Mayor (Bob Sellenriek), Jonesburg Ward I Alderman (Brian Williams), Jonesburg Ward II Alderman (Bobbie Russell), Middletown Alderman (Georgia Scarbrough and Tristan Speagle), Montgomery City Mayor (Mike Spirz), Montgomery City Collector (Jill Dunlap), Montgomery City Ward I Alderman (Tom Benney), Montgomery County Ward II Alderman (Julie Worsham), New Florence Ward I Alderman (Michelle Fortmann), New Florence Ward II Alderman (Glenn “Crash” Bartlett), Wellsville Ward I Alderman (Jacob Houston).

Voters from the R-I school district rejected a $2.7 million dollar no-tax increase bond issue – also known as Proposition K.I.D.S. – that will help pay for improvements in all of its buildings. Last year, the district issued a $1.9 no-tax increase bond issue on the ballot, but the measure didn’t pass.

The voter turnout in the county was 17.26 percent (1,419 of 8,220). There were polls in Bellflower, Jonesburg, Big Spring, Montgomery City, Wellsville, New Florence, Rhineland and Middletown.

“For the most part I believe everything went pretty smoothly,” Montgomery County Clerk Carole Weeks said. “There were a few hiccups, but nothing major. I would, however, like to see larger turnout for these elections as these are the ones that really affect us locally.”