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Voters approve mail-in ballots |
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Wednesday, 14 November 2007 |
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
Typically off year elections with candidates running unopposed make for low voter turnouts.
However, with the advent of a mail ballot election, the average voter turnout for Conrad was 40 percent and an even higher average for Valier with 51 percent.
City aldermen Wally McHenry and Sandy Syvertson, both incumbents, were running with no opposition. Both councilmen were elected to four-year terms of office.
McHenry, from Ward 1, received 320 votes from 836 eligible voters for a 34 percent average.
In Ward 2, Syvertson received 275 votes. There are 647 registered voters with 306 ballots returned.
Combined, there are 1,483 voters in the two wards with 592 ballots returned for a turnout percentage of 40 percent.
In Valier, Troy VandenBos, Ward 1, ran unopposed for a four-year term on the town council.
He received 59 votes. There are 162 registered voters in the ward and 64 returned ballots for a 40 percent turnout.
The only race in the county took place in Ward 2 in Valier with Heidi Berg, Jack Smith and Jerry Sullivan vying for a four-year council term.
Sullivan won the seat with 73 votes. Smith received 12 and Berg 10. There are 156 eligible voters in the ward and with 98 returned ballots, the turnout percentage was 63 percent.
Combined, there are 318 registered voters in the two wards and with 162 returned ballots, the turnout percentage for Valier was 51 percent.
Votes were canvassed at the regular meeting of the commissioners on Wednesday morning and made official.
In other news from the commissioner’s meeting. Michael Knight, a document imaging specialist, and Rett Hollar, both from The Office Center out of Great Falls, were on hand to discuss paper documentation and records management, which would include film and electronics (emails) as well.
No action was taken on their presentation at this time.
Requests to run water lines under the Rock City and Furlow roads by Don Connolly and Stan Clemenson respectively were approved by the commission.
The commissioners also approved an abatement for Qwest for $17,276.36.
The commissioners conditionally approved a minor property subdivision for Bartsch Farms in the Brady area. In addition, a subdivision for the Milton Hjermstad property in the Ledger area was approved.
A check for $5,341.70 was received from the county’s insurance company to cover damages and repair a truck that had earlier hit a cow.
The truck will be repaired at Zomer Trucking.
The commissioners meet regularly on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. to cover county business and the public is always welcome to attend.
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