KELSO DISTRICT UNSURE HOW SCHOOL SEAT WILL BE FILLED AFTER TIE VOTE

KELSO - How the remaining seat on the Kelso C-7 School District Board of Education will be filled in light of a two-way tie in Tuesday's election was still unknown Wednesday.

But District Superintendent Darryl Sauer said he doubts a special election would be held to break the standstill for the three-year seat.

"I'm going to try to talk to (the candidates) this evening. I think we'll work something out."

The tie ended between incumbents Charles Schwartz and Norman J. Heuring. Both received 97 votes.

A third candidate, challenger Robert Mothershead, gathered 104 votes to lay claim to another three-year seat that was up for election.

State law allows for a special election to break the tie, said Scott County Clerk Bob Kielhofner. That would be the only remedy if neither of the candidates wants to relinquish the seat to the other, he said.

Kielhofner said a special election would cost the district an estimated $500.

Based on his reading of state law, Kielhofner said, the district could hold the election on any Tuesday. He said the school board would only have to give him 14 days to run legal notices after issuing a proclamation for the election.

"On a quick read, that's what I'm reading," said Kielhofner.

Sauer said Wednesday afternoon that he had so far been unable to contact the candidates. One was out of state, he said, and the other, a farmer, was working in the field.