Here is a reminder of what to expect on the ballot and of the new polling locations.
City Council Candidates
—Running for Parsons City Commission are: Verlyn Bolinger, Leland Crooks and Eric Strait, and Ryan Robertson. —Altamont: Four positions are up for re-election, Mayor Richard Hayward and council members Lyle Sykes, Kyle Wiford and Zachary Sellers. Sellers was appointed to fill a council member’s unexpired term in late 2024. If elected, he will complete that term. All four candidates filed for re-election and no other challengers filed. — Bartlett: Six positions are open, Mayor Doug Ramey and council members Rodney Dodge, Rocky LaFalier, Cheryl Hanigan, Joe Ramey and Rodney Cunningham. Doug and Joe Ramey filed for re-election, as did Dodge and La-Falier. —Chetopa: Three seats are open, Justin Nading, Ernest Wulf and Josh Moore. Nading and Wulf filed for re-election. Moore was recently appointed to fill a council position left vacant when council member Bob Boyd took over as mayor. He didn’t file for re-election but Betsy Koontz filed for an open seat. —Edna: Three positions are open, Sharon Bozman, Joseph Kashka and Jessie Foister. None filed for re-election. Council candidates are Loren Eck, Richard Erickson, Kolby Long, Cody Lear, Russ Russell and Michelle Traxson. — Labette City: Six positions are open, Mayor Nicholas Beery and council persons Bobbi Peplinski, Doris Haney, Michelle Beery, Francis Willis and Joseph Willis. None filed for re-election. These positions are sometimes filled by write-in votes. — Mound Valley: Three positions are open, Mayor David Templeton and council members Lisa Junken and Billy Harness. Templeton and Junken filed for re-election. Other council challengers are Hayden Mc-Ginnes, Dyllon Stafford and Joe Ybarra. — Oswego: Three seats are open, Brandy Scott, Jesse Merritt and Kenny Gott. Scott and Gott filed for re-election. The third candidate will be Chris Thomason.
School Boards and Colleges
—USD 503 Board of Education candidates include: Julie Legler and Jeffrey Quirin, and challengers Dennis Dodd and Mike Hentzen. Hentzen has withdrawn his name from the running, but his name will still be listed on the ballot. —Labette Community College Board of Trustees candidates include: Rebecca Dantic and Rod Landrum. There are also two candidates making a write-in campaign: Dawn “Shelly” Martin and John Keene. —Oswego USD 504: Three positions are up for re-election, seats occupied by Kristin Redburn, Lewis “Skip” Riley and Cynthia Sanders. Redburn and Riley filed for re-election. Jennifer Schenker filed for the third seat. —Chetopa/St. Paul USD 505: Three positions are up for re-election, seats occupied by Kelsey Fleming, Barbara Evans and Kari Chambers. Evans of Chetopa filed for re-election. Jennifer Stewart of Chetopa filed for R eminders District 1, Member 4; and Shelby Spielbusch of St. Paul filed for District 3, Member 6. —Cherokee USD 247: Three positions, are up for re-election, seats occupied by Ron Yancey, Trista Schuster and Whitney Lovall. Yancey filed for re-election for District 1, Position 4, and Lovall filed for her District 1, Position 1 seat. Lovall is going to finish the two years remaining on the term she was elected to finish. Yancey will face Dean Gravett. — Cherryvale USD 447: Three positions, Phillip Reilly, Robert John and Kevin Crain. No one filed in Labette County for the seats. —Wildcat Extension District: Two Labette County positions are open on the 16-member board, seats occupied by Douglas Toburen of Parsons and Shawn Alloway of Edna. Neither filed for re-election.
Questions
In Parsons, there is a sales tax question on the ballot. The city sales tax has been in place since January 1997. The sales tax expires Dec. 31, 2026.
The question voters will consider is: “Shall a retailers sales tax in the amount of one-half of one percent (.5%) be reenacted in the City of Parsons, Kansas to be used as a revenue source to reduce the ad valorem property taxes within the city to take effect after the expiration of the previous term, starting January 1, 2027 for a term of ten years to expire December 31, 2036.”
Polling Locations
— Canada, Elm Grove, and Howard Townships: Edna Community Senior Center, 109 S. Labette. — Edna Fairview, and Mount Pleasant Townships: First Baptist Church, 400 S. Wabash. — Altamont Labette and Liberty Townships: Center Bethel Church, 1699 18000 Road. — Parsons Mound Valley and Osage Townships: Mound Valley Community Center, 505 Hickory; — Mound Valley Chetopa City, Hackberry and Richland Townships: Mae Lessley Community Center, 22 Maple. — Chetopa Oswego City, Montana and Oswego Townships: Oswego Community Center, 203 North Oswego. — Parsons, 1st and 2nd Wards (All Precincts), Neosho and North Townships: First Baptist Church (gym) 1621 Main, Parsons. — Parsons 3rd Ward (All Precincts): First Christian Church, 1500 S. 29th, Parsons. — Parsons 4th Ward (All Precincts) and Walton Township: Wall Family Center, 2605 Main, Parsons. Results from these elections will be noted in Friday’s edition of the Parsons Sun.
Editor's Note: In a previous edition of this article, it stated there was a county-wide sales tax on the ballot. This was incorrect.
