VOTERS TO DECIDE ON ROAD DISTRICT

BENTON -- Fifty-six voters in the Commerce precinct will be able to have their votes counted in the Nov. 8 election concerning the Illmo Special Road District.

Circuit Judge Anthony Heckemeyer ruled Monday that a special election will be held. No date was set.

The petition to stay the original election results arose when the Commerce precinct voters who are residents of the road district were not given the correct ballot on Nov. 8.

Lula Rhyne of Commerce made the request of the court last week. She said it was her right to vote on whether the road district should be dissolved.

County Clerk Bob Kielhofner did not dispute that the mistake was made in distributing ballots. His office is sending out notices to the 56 voters affected by Monday's decision.

The results on the issue in the Nov. 8 election showed there were 707 voters in favor of dissolving the road district while 821 voted against the proposal.

The 56 Commerce voters will not change the outcome of the election. The proposal will still be defeated even if all 56 voters cast ballots to dissolve the district.

"Whichever way it goes, it doesn't make any difference to me," Rhyne said. "I felt that we should have the right to vote on the issue."

The Illmo Special Road District meanders from Nash Road at Interstate 55 to the Commerce community about 8 miles south of Scott City.