Commissioners Certify Election Results, Approve EMS Sales Tax
School board race settled after write-in challenge falls short; new sales tax shifts EMS funding from property to retail taxes
MCPHERSON, Kan. — McPherson County commissioners last Monday, November 17 certified the results of the Nov. 4 general election, confirming the passage of a countywide sales tax for emergency medical services and finalizing the vote totals for the McPherson USD 418 Board of Education.
The official canvass, signed Nov. 17, cemented the victory of three candidates for the school board and revealed that a notable write-in campaign fell hundreds of votes short of unseating the lowest-polling winner.
USD 418 School Board Results
Incumbent Board President Lara Vanderhoof led the field in the race for three at-large seats, securing 1,530 votes. She will be joined on the board by Blaine Janssen, who finished second with 1,430 votes, and Perry McCabe, who claimed the third and final seat with 1,218 votes.
The canvass provided the final breakdown of a significant block of write-in votes that had delayed clarity on the third seat on election night. According to the certified results, three write-in candidates split a total of more than 1,200 votes but failed to overtake McCabe.
Virgil DeWild received the highest number of write-in votes with 522, followed by Jeff Butler with 513. Curtis Zimmer received 168 write-in votes. Ballot candidate Sherrie Sparks finished fourth among named candidates with 908 votes.
Ultimately, McCabe finished 696 votes ahead of DeWild, the closest write-in challenger, securing his position on the board.
County EMS Sales Tax Question
Voters decisively approved a measure to change how the county funds its emergency medical services. The official results showed the question passing with 3,039 "Yes" votes to 2,201 "No" votes—a margin of 838 votes.
The measure implements a 0.5% countywide retailers’ sales tax, scheduled to take effect April 1, 2026. The tax is designed to shift the primary funding source for EMS operations away from property taxes.
Revenue from the new sales tax will be distributed among the county's EMS providers, with McPherson EMS receiving 49% of the funds. The remaining revenue will be divided among Lindsborg EMS (18%), Moundridge EMS (15%), Rural Fire District #1 in Canton (10%), and Rural Fire District #2 in Marquette (8%).
The sales tax is set to sunset after five years.
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