The Mt. Vernon tax referendum went down to defeat today in the final tally of votes from two precincts left over from election night. But the result was mixed in the seven-way race for the Mt. Vernon School Board. The slate of candidates that had generally supported it won.
Tony May, Michael McCarty and Jason Shelton were the top vote-getters for the three at-large school board seats. Falling out of the top three was Carolyn Flynn, who was the leading vote-getter when election officials suspended tabulations on Tuesday night.
The Hancock County Election Board met Thursday morning to finish counting ballots in three precincts: two in McCordsville and one in Jackson Township. Hanging in the balance since election night were outcomes in two Eastern Hancock races, as well as the Mt. Vernon race. While the results changed in the MV contest, no other changes occurred in the final tally of all 43 precincts.
The referendum, which would have raised property taxes to help the financially ailing Mt. Vernon district, was defeated, 5,010 votes to 3,764. The results in the school board race were: McCarty, 3,169 votes; Shelton, 3,168; May, 3,151; Flynn, 3,101; James Metcalfe, 2,313; Bob Hiday, 2,212; and Ralph Spears, 1,752.
Jim Jackson and Scott Johnson, who led their races for the Eastern Hancock School Board when vote counting was suspended late Tuesday night, stayed out front in the final tally.
Jackson defeated Neil Floyd, 1,327 votes to 871. Johnson topped Michael Schrope, 1,109 votes to 1,095.
