Poor showing at the polls during city elections

Unofficial results indicate low voter turnout at the polls Tuesday with just 1,017 residents picking their favorites in 11 city elections throughout Plymouth County.

According to election officials, 11,391 registered voters in the county had the opportunity to vote in Tuesday's city elections.

Those numbers indicate it was 11 percent voter turnout in the county, said Cheri Nitzschke, Plymouth County deputy auditor.

"It was a slow day for election workers," Nitzschke said. "Otherwise it went really well."

In Le Mars 645 residents, both at the polls and with absentee ballots, voted on three unopposed elections throughout the city.

Residents throughout the entire City of Le Mars voted Mayor Dick Kirchoff into a second two-year term with 149 votes and Rex Knapp (council at-large) with 141 votes.

Those living in Ward 1 in Le Mars cast 53 votes for Councilman John Leonard and residents living in Ward 3 cast 26 votes for Councilman Ken Nelson for additional four-year terms.

Voters throughout Le Mars also chose Floyd Valley Hospital trustees. William Young earned 138 votes and Craig Bauerly 138 for additional four-year terms.

A unique election in Oyens featured an open seat for mayor, with no candidates on the ballot.

Voters made their voices heard by submitting 19 write-in votes to retain Mayor Cheryl Christman for another two-year term.

She has already served six years as mayor.

The Plymouth County Supervisors will canvass the city election next Wednesday so Christman has until the day after that to make her decision, Nitzschke said.

"If a person who is elected decides not to accept office by the day after the canvass, then it's offered to the person with the next highest number of votes for that office," Nitzschke said. "If that person declines, then a vacancy exists."

In that case, Nitzschke said someone would probably have to be appointed from the Oyens community to act as mayor.

Christman said Wednesday she has thought about it and will accept voters' wishes and serve another two-year term.

"I actually feel quite humbled by it," Christman said. "I had thought they would appreciate some new blood in there, but they apparently think everything is going the way it should be and I will continue on until they don't want me anymore."

Elsewhere in the county, voters in Struble, Brunsville, Remsen, Craig and Hinton had decisions to make as to who would be the best candidate for the position.

In Struble, Mayor Joseph N. Vollmecke earned 26 votes, beating out opponent Dale T. Grasmeyer's seven votes, for another two-year term.

Vollmecke said Tuesday at the end of this next term he will have served as Struble's mayor for a total of 30 years.

"I've worked with a whole lot of people to make this community the best we could over the past 30 years," Vollmecke said. "I'm glad I was re-elected. At the end of two years, I'm probably going to let somebody else take over."

Also in Struble, five candidates were voted into five two-year council seats: Michael Vander Molen earned (32 votes), Scott Keairns and Barry N. Jurgensen (29), Robert D. Hughes (26) and Kenneth C. Urban (22).

In Brunsville, Steve Dickman earned 36 votes to beat out current Mayor Wayne Schlotfeldt's four votes, to become new mayor with a four-year term.

Kathy Renken earned 30 votes and Robert Wiese 27 votes for two open four-year Brunsville council seats.

Voters in Remsen had to make a decision among six candidates running for three four-year term seats on its city council.

David Sonnichsen (107 votes), Tom Haverkamp (91) and Jeff Cluck (89) were voted into those positions while Jeff Schorg (87), Tom Kockler (83), and Jay Schroeder (63) came up short.

Craig voters chose five out of six candidates for two-year council seats.

Owen D. Smith and Glenn R. Moller earned (19 votes), William Lalk (18), Candace Eades (17) and Gregory Lammers (13). Candidate Joe De Young came up short by one vote.

Also in Craig, Mayor Barry Cornish will serve another two-year term earning 20 votes running unopposed.

In Hinton, voters chose Kenneth Spies with (138 votes) and Randy R. Roehrich (102) for two open council seats with four-year terms.

The other contender was Jake Milton who earned 47 votes.

Hinton's Mayor Gary Fischer will hold his office for another two years earning 113 votes running unopposed.

Kingsley, Akron, Merrill and Westfield also had city elections Tuesday, but none of their candidates ran opposed.

Kingsley: Mayor Wayne Plendl earned 185 votes for another two-year term.

Neal Rolling (204 votes), David Dugan (162), Ron Mathers (153) and Chad Iseminger (147) were voted in for open four-year term council seats.

Akron: Brent S. James earned 44 votes and Chad D. Erickson 33 for open city council four-year term seats.

Merrill: Mayor Richard Husman earned 45 votes for another two-year term.

Nick Hartman earned 48 and Lyle Bernard 42 votes for two open city council four-year term seats.

Westfield: Write-in candidate Bill Hummel's 30 votes beat out candidate Michael Bohlke's 20 votes for a two-year term as mayor.

Jo Ann M. Eden (33 votes), Tammy Hummel (26 write-in) and Don Dion (25 write-in) for three open four-year term city council seats. Bonnie Lahr earned 24 votes and Julianne Young 22.