Election results: Todd wins re-election, school levy passes

With 100% of precincts reporting, Mayor Michael Todd won re-election, defeating Dale Arnold with 58.92% of the vote.

Reached for comment, Mayor Todd said, "I want to thank all the residents who have placed their faith in me for another two years.  We have some great things coming with expansions of sidewalks, trails, road improvements, and improvements to our parks that I’m excited to continue to work with city staff on."

In the only contested alderman race, first-time candidate Kyle Sole defeated former mayor Chuck Johnston in Ward I with 55.81% of the vote.  Rick Knox in Ward 2 and Ryan Skinner in Ward 3 won their uncontested seats.

Voters also overwhelmingly passed the proposed school board levy (Question 1) which will be used to increase teacher and staff pay in the district. The measure passed with 58.86% of the vote.

Reached for comment, Grain Valley Schools Superintendent Brad Welle shared the following statement:

"We wish to thank our school community for supporting our schools, teachers, and staff with the passage of the levy ballot measure. Our people tell us they love working here and this vote reinforces why - because this community is willing to do hard things to keep our schools the best they can be.
We see the challenges many in our community face to keep up with increased costs and we do not take your support for granted. We will continue to be good stewards of our financial resources.
I wish to thank our school board for setting the tone for our district. Under the Board’s leadership, our focus is on attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce.
We also appreciate the efforts of parents and other community volunteers who stepped forward to get the word out about the importance of this ballot measure.
Improved pay for our teachers and staff will take effect with the start of the new budget year on July 1."

Incumbent Jared English was re-elected to another term on the Grain Valley school board, while first-time candidate Aaron Scully won the second open seat, defeating incumbent candidate Eddie Saffell and first-time candidate Paul Trusler.

Unofficial results: Jackson County Election Board (9:50pm 4/2/2024)