Iola voters said they’d like to take five — commissioners, that is.
In an advisory election Tuesday that city commissioners vowed to follow in shaping the city’s next governing body, voters endorsed a five-member city commission.
Out of 650 ballots cast, 291 — or 45 percent — voted for the five-member commission, four commissioners and a mayor.
The other two options, seven- and nine-member commissions, each received 179 votes, or 28 percent apiece.
One ballot was rejected because it was improperly marked and five others were held aside as provisional ballots, County Clerk Sherrie Riebel said. Because of the margin, the results would not change if the ballots were counted, Riebel noted.
All three commissioners said they plan to move ahead to draft charter ordinances in order to get the new governing body in place promptly.
“Personally, I was in favor of an even larger council, but I committed to support whatever the citizens wanted,” Mayor Bill Maness said.
Commissioner Bill Shirley and Maness said they both favored seeing the new commission feature voting by wards instead of all at-large commissioners.
“Ward voting would give a better representation of the entire community,” Maness said.
Commissioner Craig Abbott said he was not willing to endorse ward voting because he had yet to fully explore the issue.
Shirley and Maness both said they also favored seeing the new commission begin meeting in the evenings.
“That would open it up to even more candidates,” Shirley said.
RAY SHANNON, who spearheaded a group of local advocates favoring an eight-member council and a mayor, said that if commissioners draft charter ordinances for the five-member commission, they will begin a petition drive to see it rejected.
Shannon pointed to the total number of votes, 358, that opted for the seven- and nine-member commission.
“I think the city’s intent all along was to split the vote of those favoring a larger city council in order to get their five-member commission,” Shannon said. “I can’t help but think that there will obviously be a petition drive.”
IN ADDITION to the advisory vote, Maness easily earned re-election as mayor. Running unopposed, Maness received 353 votes out of 431 ballots cast. Sixty write-in ballots were filed, Riebel said.
Three Moran City Council members, Mike Holman, Jerry Jackman and Jerry Wallis all were re-elected. Jackman received 52 votes, Holman 50 and Wallis 32 out of the 59 ballots cast. Fourteen candidates also received write-in votes. Each Moran voter was asked to pick three council members.
The votes will be certified Friday morning after county and city officials canvass the votes.
