Hotel/Motel tax passes; Drey joins extension council
RED OAK — A controversial 7 percent hotel/motel tax passed fairly easily Tuesday night while Montgomery County voters supported Republican nominees in all other federal, state and county races.
Red Oak voters supported the hotel/motel tax by a 58 percent margin, 1,365-988.
The tax will generate an estimated $70,000 a year with at least half of it benefitting tourism and recreation. While the ballot allows the other half to be spent on any lawful purpose, the council has promised all the funds raised will be used for promote and enhance tourism and recreation in Red Oak.
County voters also showed their support for Republicans Mitt Romney and Tom Latham in races for President and Congress.
Romney received 2,999 votes while President Barack Obama received 2,019. Libertarian Gary Johnson finished third in the county with 42 votes, followed by Jill Stein (Green Party, 18), Virgil Goode (Constitution, 11), Jerry Litzel (Independent, 8), James Harris (Socialist Workers Party, 2) and Gloria La Riva (1).
Nationwide, early projections has Obama winning in his bid for re-election.
In the race for U.S. Congress, Republican Tom Latham defeated Leonard Boswell (D) 3,194-881. Scott Batcher (Independent) and David Rosenfeld received 140 and 107 votes, respectively.,
The only locally contested race was for the Montgomery County Agriculture Extension Council.
Four of five incumbents were re-elected, including Michael Olson (2,814), Karen Klocke (2,455), Carroll Freeman (2,403) and Timothy Kammerer (2,286). Sabrina Johnson was not reelected, receiving 1,927 votes as Bill Drey will join the Council by finishing second with 2,805 votes.
Stephanie Burke (auditor), Joe Sampson (sheriff), Donna Robinson (District 5 County Supervisor) and Bryant Amos (District 3 County Supervisor) were elected to county offices after running unopposed.
Joni Ernst was also running unopposed for a term in the state senate while Mark Costello and Cecil Dolecheck ran unopposed for state representative.
All unopposed candidates were Republicans.
More detailed results, including precinct by precinct totals, will be published in next week’s Red Oak Express.