Voters do not support proposed Wadena sales tax question

WADENA — There were no surprises in Wadena City Council election this year, with the three candidates all being elected to their seats as expected.
However, the city council and library's hopes of securing a local option sales tax has been dashed by voters who opposed it by a roughly 10% margin.
Election night votes showed 55.8% of voters were opposed to the tax, which would have imposed a quarter percent sales tax on taxable items in the city of Wadena. The difference in the votes were 797 to 632.
In other less surprising votes:
Mayor George Deiss ran unopposed for his seat. He received 1,174 votes.
Council member Mark Lunde also ran for his seat unopposed. He received 768 votes.
Former Wadena City Councilman Dan Sartell ran for the seat of outgoing councilman Bruce Uselman unopposed. He received 1,115 votes.
The mayor seat has a two-year term expiring at the close of 2024. The council seats are four-year terms expiring at the close of 2026.

Wadena County
Aldrich
Mayor

• Justin Genosky: 5 votes
• Vanessa Waldahl: 18 votes
  

Council member — Faye Baugh: 100%Treasurer — 10 write-ins were received with no announcement of a winner.
Menahga

Mayor

• Karen Candelaria: 39%
• Elizabeth “Liz” Olson (incumbent): 60.3%

Council member (elect two)Jody Bjornson: 47.9%
Art Huebner (incumbent): 11.2%
Mike Netland: 39.9%

Sebeka

Mayor

• David A. Anderson (incumbent): 50.8%
• Edmund Fennig: 47.9%

Council member (elect two)

• Michael Grewing: 36.1%
• Josh Connor (incumbent): 32.7%
• Mitch Hanson: 30.2%

Verndale

• Mayor — Tara Erckenbrack (incumbent): 93.5%
  Council member (elect two)
• Jim Runyan (incumbent): 33.8%
• Brad Cottrell: 32.7%

• Ardith Carr (incumbent): 31.6%

  There was a margin of just four votes between Carr and Cottrell for the second seat.

Nimrod

• Mayor — Keith Frame: 100% - 29 votes
• Council member — Coleman Rydie: 23 votes
• City clerk —Karen Lepinski: 29 votes

East Otter Tail County

Bluffton

• Mayor — Tim Pavek (incumbent): 96.5%
  Council member (elect 3)
• Tony Kassa: 98.8%
• Mary Lou Carlson: 52.4%
• Brian Nesland: 47.6%
  

Deer Creek

• Mayor — Troy Beiswenger (incumbent) : 80.2%

• Tom Svarvari: 18.8%

  Council member

• Jayme Earl George: 52.4%
• Robert B. Lund: 40.4%

New York Mills

• Mayor — Marsha Maki: 97%
  Council member (elect 2)
• Eric Hammond: 50.6%
• Richard Grotheer: 48.5%

Ottertail
Mayor — Ron Grobeck: 93.6%
Council member (elect 2)

• Jill T. Carlson: 41.1%
• Elizabeth Augustus: 35.8%
• Judah Burlingame: 22.1%

Todd County

Hewitt
Mayor

• Miles Wirre: 59.8%
• Jennifer Crider: 39.3%

Council member (elect 2)

• Trinity Gruenberg: 25.6%
• Gloriann Bartels: 23.2%
• Julie Cole Denny: 20.9%
• Donald D. Fitzgerald: 17.5%
• Alice Melzer: 12.8%

Special election council member (elect 1)

• Holly Knutson: 70.4%
• Marietta Matthews: 29.6%

Bertha
Mayor

• Debra Nelson: 56.1%
• Steven Greenwaldt: 40.8%

Council member (elect 2): 77 write in ballots were submitted with no winners yet announced.

• Council member (special election, elect 1)
• Tyler Hoffman: 35.9%
• Shari Moller: 63.5%

Staples

Mayor

• Ron Murray: 58.5%
• Doug Case: 40.8%

Council member (elect 3)

• Mary Jo Goff: 22.1%
• Roy Miles: 20.5%
• Blake Gerard: 18.4%
• Benjamin Johnson: 17.6%
• Lisa Toepper: 17.3%
• Bhogadia Sean: 3.8%

Staples City Question
Yes: 62.7%
No: 37.3%