By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Here is a rundown of some of the major elections and ballot questions in the St. Louis area on Tuesday:
- Voters rejected tax increases for both the St. Charles and St. Louis and Community Colleges.
- Sunset Hills Mayor Jim Hobbs and four aldermen were voted out of office in a race that focused on the way the city handled a shopping development that went bust. John Hunzeker will be the city's new mayor.
- Lincoln County voters approved a sales tax to pay for roads.
- In South St. Louis County, Michael Ocello, the president of a national strip club chain, won a seat on the Mehlville School Board.
- Tax questions were approved in Bridgeton and Crestwood.
- In Clayton, write-in candidate Michelle Harris won the race for 2nd ward alderman. She gained 430 votes over Bret Rich's 289 and Dan Cueno's 30 votes. Rich and Cueno were on the ballot.
- There might be a recall in Overland because the two top vote-getters in the race for mayor are seperated by only four votes. Councilwoman Ann Purzner has 1,115 votes; Councilwoman Mary Beth Conlon has 1,111. (Gerry Kientzel is running a close third, wtih 964 votes) Current Mayor Bob Dody is retiring.
- Two of the three candidates for Ballwin alderman who campaigned to overturn a smoking ban there lost.
- Wellston's mayor pro-tem Frank McNeil won a four-way race for mayor.
- University City's mayor Joe Adams held on to his seat in a close race against city Councilwoman Shelley Welsch. Adams got 51% of the vote and beat Welsch by just 130 votes.
- Tax and bond questions passed in the Fort Zumwalt, Wentzville, Rockwood and Webster Groves, and De Soto school districts, among others.
- Tuesday's elections also included a recall vote in St. Charles. Councilwoman Dottie Greer survived that vote, though, and will keep her seat. In all, 54% of voters in St. Charles' 7th Ward voted 'no' to the recall.
- Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi beat former mayor Vickie Boedecker in a rematch of that race from two years ago. Last time, Lambi won by just 17 votes. This time, however, his margin of victory was more than 200 votes, with 53% of the votes.
- Voting in the Bootheel town of Caruthersville, Mo was postponed because damage from Sunday's tornado made it impossible to hold an election. It's the first time a city in Missouri has put off elections.
A NOTE ABOUT KANSAS CITY
Voters in Kansas City Tuesday approved a new sales tax to pay for upgrades and improvements at Arrowhead and Kaufmann Stadiums, but rejected a business tax that would pay for a rolling roof over the stadiums.
Kansas City mayor Kay Barnes say the mixed outcome at the ballot box is still a win for the city. "Not only have the Chiefs and Royals been part of our home. Guess what? They're staying home!" Barnes exclaimed at a campaign party Tuesday night.
The improvements will keep both the Royals and the Chiefs in town for the next 25 years, and allow Kauffman to host a baseball All-Star Game .but without a roof, Kansas City won't be getting the Superbowl in 2015, or be eligible to host an NCAA final Four.