A proposed tax levy and three Bollinger County political races will be decided by voters Nov. 5, while three other positions will remain occupied by incumbents running unopposed.

Gene Ward, John W. Reilly and James M. Bollinger, all unopposed, will keep their offices as Bollinger County coroner, surveyor, and assessor, respectively.

If passed, a 30-cent tax levy will be assessed by the board of directors of the Sedgewickville Fire Protection District to support the district. This is the second attempt to pass the measure, which first appeared on the ballot in April. The tax could affect approximately 600 voters.

Incumbents in the offices of 2nd District county commissioner, sheriff and public administrator are all being opposed by first-time office seekers.

Rod Jetton, a Republican, is seeking the office of County Commissioner for the 2nd District. Jetton has campaigned for several politicians in the past, including the late U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson. If elected, he wants to He wants to improve the county's system of road maintenance and make county commissioner meetings more accessible to the public.

Jetton also opposes the Twin Cities Lake project between Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties because he says the costs outweigh the benefits for Bollinger County.

Jetton is running against Democratic incumbent Junior Cook. Cook has been county commissioner for the 2nd District for the past 10 years. Attempts to reach Cook for his views on the election were unsuccessful.

Democrat Dennis W. Willis is opposing incumbent Daniel Mesey to be the next Bollinger County sheriff. Willis has 10 years of law enforcement experience in Bollinger County. He was a sheriff's deputy for two years, and he is currently a captain with the Marble Hill Police Department.

Mesey gained 23 years of experience with the St. Louis Police Department before retiring. He was a special investigator for the sheriff's department in 1989, and was elected sheriff in a special election that year. Mesey was elected to a full term as sheriff in 1991.

In 1995, Mesey was recognized by the Missouri Association of Counties for creating the Sheriff's Posse program, which aids search and rescue operations, and for installing an emergency notification system in his department. The system caters to the needs of the homebound and the elderly. The award noted that no other county in Missouri has these programs.

The office of public administrator is being sought by Republican Larry Welker and incumbent Winford C. Brown. Brown has held the office for 16 years.