Incumbents do well in general election

It was a good night for incumbents on November 6 as the 2007 general election determined members of local community governing bodies. All three incumbents on the ballots in Monticello and Blanding were returned for another term in office.

In Blanding, incumbents Kelly Laws and Eric Johnson were re-elected by a comfortable margin. The top vote getter is first-time office holder Joe B. Lyman.

Incumbent Walter Bird was the only name on the ballot for the three open positions on the Monticello City Council. He will be joined in office by write-in candidates Scott Shakespeare and Jerry Ward.

In Bluff, the three open positions on the Bluff Service Board will be filled by the three candidates for office: Susan DeLorme and incumbents David Carpenter and Skip Meier.

The newly elected officials will take office in January.

Leaving office are Blen Freestone and Cassie Boyle in Monticello, Randy Pemberton in Blanding, and Teri Paul in Bluff.

Voters in Blanding cast a vote on two sales tax proposals. Both measures passed with nearly 60 percent voter approval. The tax will be used to fund the community’s growing recreation programs.

A statewide referendum issue sought voter sentiment on tuition vouchers for private schools. The vote in San Juan was 2:1 against. Local voters had similar sentiments to voters in other counties in Utah.

Voter turnout was 32 percent in San Juan County. Turnout was roughly 56 percent in the Monticello area, 43 percent in the Blanding area and 19 percent in the Bluff area.