DAYTON–Columbia County voters will be receiving their vote-by-mail ballots from their friendly neighborhood mail carrier at the end of this week in advance of the 2021 General Election on November 2.

In Columbia County and Dayton, there are eight contested races involving seats on the Dayton City Council, Dayton School Board and the Port of Columbia. Certain Columbia County voters in the Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District will be casting their votes on other measures and for a variety of candidates.

State measures include three Advisory Votes. Advisory Vote No. 36 concerns Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1477. The legislature imposed, without a vote of the people, a 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention tax on telephone lines, costing $432,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.

Advisory Vote No. 37, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5096: The legislature imposed, without a vote of the people, a 7% tax on capital gains in excess of $250,000, with exceptions, costing $5,736,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.

Advisory Vote No. 38, Second Substitute Senate Bill 5315: The legislature imposed, without a vote of the people, a tax on captive insurers in the amount of 2% of premiums form owners/affiliates, costing $53,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.

There are four seats up for grabs on the Dayton City Council, and three of them involve races and one is unopposed. Only one candidate is an incumbent. Candidate statements on most contested positions are included in this edition.

Vying for Council Position 1 (full term) are Laura Aukerman and Boe Stevenson. Council Position 3, also a four-year term, has Cindi John and Teeny McMunn seeking the post. Position 5's candidate, Marchand Hovrud, informed the Chronicle this week that she has accepted a job in an another state and when that situation presented itself, it was too late to withdraw. If she wins, she will withdraw, she said. A write-in candidate is Vicki Zoller, who is also seeking the Dayton City Council Position 5 Short and Full-term post. Position 7's incumbent Fred Crowe and Tyler (Tiger) Dieu are on the ballot for the Short and Full Term.

At the Dayton School District, there are four positions open. Incumbent David Bailey is seeking re-election and is challenged by Korinda Wallace for the full-term seat.

Director No. 3 incumbent is Grant Griffen, seeking re-election to the two-year unexpired term unopposed.

Two candidates seek election to Director No. 4, Anna Berg and Aneesha Dieu, for a two-year unexpired term.

Jeff McCowen filed for re-election to Director No. 5 on the School Board.

Port of Columbia has two positions open. The District 1 position is held by Shawn Brown, who recently succeeded the late Earle Marvin as chairman of the Port Commission, and is seeking election to a four-year unexpired term. Opposing Brown is Seth Bryan.

The other Port Commission seat has two candidates, Jack Miller and Johnny Watts, both seeking the six-year short and full term for District No. 3.

Jim D. Kime, a former Hospital Commissioner, is seeking election to Columbia County Hospital District Commissioner No. 3, short and full term, unopposed. Barbara J. Miller, a recent appointee to the Hospital Commission, is an unopposed candidate for Commissioner No. 4, short and full term.

Town of Starbuck candidate for mayor, running unopposed, is Zonia Dedloff. Three Town of Starbuck council positions have unopposed candidates: K. Ruth Shearer, Member No. 2; Darcy Linklater, Member No. 4; and Mark Hall, Member No. 5 (two-year unexpired term). Steven G. Wildman is on the ballot for Clerk/Treasurer, unopposed for a two-year unexpired term.

There are three unopposed candidates for Starbuck School Director positions: Diane Lusk seeks a two-year unexpired term for Director No. 3; Karen Rubenser a full term for Director No. 3 and Shelley Hall, a two-year unexpired term for Director No. 5.

Three County Fire Districts have unopposed candidate. In District 1, Richard Rubenser is on the ballot; Brooke Mikesell is running in District 2, and Mike Spring in District 3.

Certain Columbia County voters will cast ballots for Pomeroy School District Director No. 2 Geremy D. Nelson, and Director No. 4 Kyle J. Pearson. Likewise for Prescott School District candidates seeking Director No. 1, Audrey Osborn and Susan Deruwe. Prescott Director No. 5 candidate is Jacob J. Stueckle, running unopposed.

Some county residents will vote yea or nay of Proposition No. 1 of the Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District Maintenance & Operation Levy. It seeks $125,000 in the collection year 2021-2022, an assessed value of 30¢ per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Candidates for Prescott Park and Rec Commissioner Subdivision No. 2 are Jason Kaehler and Victoria Erwin, both of Prescott; and unopposed is Douglas Venn, Subdivision No. 3 and Carol Hartwig, Subdivision No. 5, a two-year unexpired term.

In the Waitsburg School District, certain Columbia County voters will see Sarah Boudrieau seeking a two-year unexpired term for Director No. 1, a race between Stephanie Cole and Ann Miller for a full term as Director No. 3, and Lisa Morrow running unopposed for Director No. 4