Bob Foos
Voters in all of Jasper County and in some cities on Tuesday will be asked whether an additional 3% sales tax shall be collected on the sale of recreational marijuana.
Those buying marijuana for recreational (as opposed to medical) purposes are already paying a 6% state sales tax. That tax was included in the constitutional amendment passed by voters in November 2022 that allowed the sale of recreational marijuana.
The amendment allowed local governments, including counties and cities, to further tax the sale of recreational marijuana up to 3%.
So the first question on all ballots in Jasper County will be whether Jasper County should collect a 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana sales.
Webb City and Carterville are asking voters whether another 3% (12% total of state 6%, county 3%, city 3%) should be collected in those cities.
Webb City and Carterville are among 105 cities with marijuana sales tax questions on their ballots Tuesday.
Oronogo does not have a marijuana sales tax question on its ballots.
So far, there are no marijuana dispensaries within the city limits of Webb City, Carterville or Oronogo.
In fact, council members in Webb City are planning to ask voters in the future to ban the sale of recreational marijuana in the city.
Sample ballots for Tuesday’s election can be seen ahead of time on the Jasper County website. (Carterville pages 14-17; Oronogo 42-44; Webb City 46-50.)
Voters Tuesday in the Webb City R-7 School District can pick three of four candidates on the ballot for three open three-year terms.
Three of the candidates, David Collard, Jeanne Newby and William Roderique, have each served multiple terms and say they still want to contribute.
They are challenged by Erin Taylor, who says she could offer a fresh perspective as a board member.
All of the candidates appeared during a forum conducted March 6 by the Webb City Community Teachers Association. The following background information (in order of ballot position) is based on candidate submissions for the forum.
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David Collard grew up north of Oronogo. He graduated from Carl Junction High School in 1970 and earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
He and his wife, Nancy, were married in August 1972 and live on a farm northeast of Oronogo, where preschool and kindergarten students go on a tour each spring.
David retired from Missouri Farm Bureau in 2014 after 39 1/2 years of service. Nancy has since retired from UltraSound Services Corp. after 40 years of service.
They have three sons who graduated from Webb City High School and now have a grandson who has graduated from WCHS and four younger grandchildren in the school system.
Collard says he hopes to see the district move forward academically and financially while in his 12th term.
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Will Roderique, only six years out of high school, became the youngest Webb City R-7 School Board member ever in 1993. There was an open seat because it was the first year the number of school boards in Missouri was increased to seven.
As he completes his 30th year on the board, he’s seeking his 11th term.
After graduating from WCHS in 1987, he earned an accounting degree in 1991 from Missouri Southern State University.
Roderique is a shareholder in BDR CPAs, which he co-founded in 1996. He advises businesses and individuals on tax and financial matters. He also co-owns Four States Payroll, which provides full-service payroll and human resource services to businesses.
Roderique and his wife, Cheryl, also a 1987 WCHS grad, are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Webb City and have volunteered on various community boards over the years. They have been married 31 years and have three children, Scott, Jay and Abby, plus three grandchildren, Greta, Mabel and Dash.
Roderique says he “believes that public education is the single greatest institution in our country, because of the hope and opportunity it provides to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or socio-economic situations.”
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Jeanne Newby, an authority on Webb City history, says that while growing up here, “I was surrounded by love, beauty, happiness and good people. I had awesome friends, teachers, neighbors and good examples to follow. I obtained an early desire to help my town to improve and show its promises of goodness. I learned of the history and the magic of Webb City and took that to heart.”
In addition to her eight terms on the school board, she has served on school and city committees and was on the City Council.
She and her husband of 55 years, Stan Newby, have four children, Shannon, Shane, Shael and Shalae. They and many other family members have graduated from WCHS.
Newby says, “I have watched this school district grow and it has been amazing. I love being a citizen of Webb City and member of the Webb City R-7 School Board.
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Erin Taylor is a 2001 graduate of WCHS and a 2005 graduate of MSSU. She has a bachelor’s degree in business education and taught high school for five years prior to becoming a stay-at-home-mom.
She married her high school sweetheart, Garrett. They have five children, ages 2 to 13, in their home and are active foster parents.
Still, Erin is active in the community. She serves on the PTOs at Carterville Elementary School and the middle school, and she assists in the leadership of Mom’s Connection at Christ’s Church of Oronogo. Her family attends Carterville Christian Church, where she works part-time. She also volunteers as a financial teacher for various nonprofits.
Taylor’s family has been associated with the district. Her mother, Cherie Baker, taught for 28 at WCHS. Her mother-in-law, Julie Taylor, was a school nurse in the district for 16 years, and her father-in-law, Kent Taylor, was a school board member.
As a board member, Erin says she would like to see Webb City continue to be a leader among districts nationwide. “My primary goal is to see our district continue with the high standards that have led us to the successes that bring our community together with pride.”
Aside from the 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana question, the Webb City ballots are rather humdrum.
That’s because the four council members whose current terms are expiring are all running unopposed.
The incumbents are: Andy Queen, 1st Ward; Gina Monson, 2nd Ward; Jonathan Shull, 3rd Ward, and Debbie Darby, 4th Ward.
The ballots are more lively in Carterville, where there is a two-person race in each ward.
Mayor Alan Griffin, though, is unopposed as he runs for reelection.
The four City Council ward races are:
The 2nd Ward in Oronogo has gone from underrepresented to unrepresented on the Board of Aldermen, and there’s no candidate for one of the two open seats.
Otherwise, there are two unopposed incumbents: Rick Seeley, 1st Ward, and Darrell Orender, 3rd Ward.
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