HANCOCK COUNTY — While turnout for Tuesday’s primary election was low, it resulted in a new tax for a school district and shakeups for McCordsville Town Council and Buck Creek Township trustee.
Of the county’s 59,550 registered voters, the election office reported 8,684 ballots were cast, nearly 85% of which among Republicans.
Voters in the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation district opted in favor of a referendum for a new tax, with 1,746 in favor and 1,437 against. The new property tax will be up to 17 cents per $100 of assessed value from 2023 through as late as 2030. It’s projected to bring in more than $3.2 million annually, and school officials say it’s needed as a decade-long funding boost allowed by the state draws to a close and as property tax caps continue to limit revenue available to schools.
The results of Tuesday’s primary also mean McCordsville Town Council will get two new members next year. Scott Jones and Bryan Burney earned the most votes in the Republican contest for two of the council’s at-large seats, with 391 and 278, respectively. They beat two incumbents, both of whom were close behind Burney — Chad Gooding, with 273; and Tom Strayer, with 268.
Burney and Jones will face Democrats Linda Robinson and Andrea Yovanovich in the general election in November.
Another incumbent defeat was in the Republican race for Buck Creek Township trustee, with Micki Simunek’s 424 topping current officeholder Jack Negley’s 352 and challenger Kenny Simmons’ 235.
The four-way GOP contest for the three seats on the Buck Creek Township Advisory Board resulted in 663 for Scott Whitehouse, 594 for Matthew Kelly and 531 for Erin Harsin-Jordan, eliminating John Martin, who had 453. Democrat Marian Hensley will join that race this fall.
The Vernon Township Advisory Board also drew four Republican contenders for its three seats. Winners included incumbents Marybeth Sears and Timothy Plank, with 926 and 911, respectively, and Anthony Wayne Buechler, with 650. Jeffrey Augustinovicz had 556.
