Voters To Decide On Mayor, Community Campus, School Bond Issue on June 2nd

​     The municipal election originally scheduled for April 7th will take place Tuesday, June 2nd and Grain Valley voters will have a full slate of issues to decide on. Three candidates vie for Mayor, and aldermen seats are open in each of the City’s three districts.
     Jeff Craney, Chuck Johnston, and Michael Todd are running for Grain Valley Mayor. District 1 Alderman Jayci Stratton is running unopposed, as is District 3 Alderman Bob Headley. In District 2, Joey Burgett and Rick Knox are running for one open seat.
     Grain Valley Schools has placed a $14.5 million no tax increase bond issue on the ballot to fund the addition of instructional spaces primarily dedicated to performing arts, including the addition of a band room, percussion room, instrument storage, practice rooms, black box theater, storage and stagecraft area, and a new choir room.
     Voters will also select three school board members from a slate of five candidates. Candidates for school board include incumbents Jeff Coleman, Tisha Holmfeld, and Janis (Jan) Reding, and candidates Jeff Wolff and Justin Wulff.
     Residents will also decide on a proposed community campus project to be funded through a no tax increase general obligation bond. The last time voters were asked by the City to issue bonds was April 2011.
     Plans for the site include a new civic facility which will house the City Hall, police department, and municipal court. The facility will also include common space and community meeting spaces. The approximate square footage of the civic offices is 31,000 square feet. The size of the current City Hall, Police Department, and Municipal Court is a combined 16,000 square feet.
     Additionally, the proposed campus includes a new community center to include an indoor pool. The proposed center will be approximately 45,000 square feet.
     Plans also outline areas for a play structure, splash pad, and some degree of trail completion at the site. 
     Two separate questions on the ballot addressing the proposed campus will require  super majority approval. Question One calls for a $23.5 million bond, and Question Two calls for a bond in the amount of $15,350,000. Cities may only issue general obligation bonds after obtaining approval of four-sevenths (57.!%) of the qualified voters of the municipality voting on a  question.
     The Jackson County Election Board is asking voters to check their polling location before heading to the polls on June 2nd. Registered voters in eastern Jackson County should have received a letter from the Jackson County Election Board which replaced the traditional “poll notification card” postcard. The letter includes the voter’s polling place information, address, directions, and other information about the upcoming election. The Board sent more detailed information as many polling locations changed for this election. 
     Voters who will be unable to get to their poll on Election Day may vote absentee at the Jackson County Election Board office at 215 N. Liberty, Independence from 8:30am until 5:00pm Monday – Friday.  The office will also be open on Saturday, May 30 from 8:30am until 12:30pm for absentee voting.
      The Jackson County Election Board has taken measures to protect both the voters and poll workers on Election Day. Poll workers will wear masks and gloves. Poll workers and voters will have easy access to hand sanitizer, surfaces will be disinfected regularly, distancing will be enforced, and voters will be given a pen/stylus to use and keep instead of an “I VOTED” sticker. In addition, voters may choose to vote “curbside” instead of coming inside to vote.  Polls will be open 6:00am – 7:00pm.