Perry County voters to select hospital board and health department personnel

In Perry County, there are contested races for the county hospital board and the county health department.

Hospital board member Beth Guth of Perryville is seeking re-election to a five-year term. She faces a challenge from William “Bill” Bohnert of Longtown, Missouri.

Bohnert, a former Cape Girardeau police officer, has served as Perry County coroner since January 2017. If elected to the hospital board, Bohnert wrote in emailed responses to a candidate questionnaire that he would continue to serve as coroner.

According to Bohnert, there is a lack of transparency on the board. “There has to be more transparency by the board to the taxpayers/citizens of this county. I will not only be an advocate for the hospital, but also for the hospital employees and the citizens of Perry County.”

Perry County Memorial Hospital is owned and partially funded by Perry County taxpayers, he wrote.

“Board members must be able to set aside personal interests in favor of those of the hospital and “exercise independent judgment,” according to Bohnert.

He added, “There also has been very little turnover on the board for years and I believe that it is time for change on the hospital board.”

The Southeast Missourian emailed a questionnaire to Guth twice in the last several weeks, but received no response.

Three candidates are competing for two, four-year terms on the Perry County Health Department Board. None of them are incumbents.

The candidates are Ali Dibooglu, Mary Boxdorfer and Sharon K. Unterreiner, who all list Perryville addresses.

In emailed responses, Dibooglu wrote the biggest issues facing the health agency are “the lack of funding and public awareness of the benefits and programs offered by the health department.”

Dibooglu, a counselor with the state’s Disability Determination Services, wrote he is running “to ensure that Perry County Health Department is promoting the health of our community” by preventing avoidable disease and injury through monitoring of the health of the community and responding to public health emergencies.

Boxdorfer, a retired, licensed practical nurse, said in a phone interview she had no specific platform when she decided to run.

Boxdorfer said friends encouraged her to run and “I said, ‘Why not.’”

The Southeast Missourian twice emailed Unterreiner, the third candidate, a questionnaire. As of Thursday, she had not responded.