Prophetstown has two candidates running for Mayor: Bruce Franks and John Leoni. For the City Council, incumbent Larry Dessing is running for Ward One Alderperson, Terry Strike for Ward Two, and incumbent Greg Schmitt for Ward Three, all unopposed. Eileen Detra is running unopposed for Treasurer, and no one is on the ballot for City Clerk.
The Prophetstown Fire Protection District has one trustee candidate for a 6-year term, incumbent Keith Crady, and three candidates vying for a 2-year unexpired term: incumbent Valorie Armstrong, Joe Pratt, and Jacob Stanhoff. For the Prophetstown Park District, Sandra Johnson is the only candidate for the two Park Commissioner seats up for re-election.
Lyndon has two running for Mayor: Tim Armstrong and Tyler Scott, who was appointed to Acting Mayor in 2024 after Mayor Becky Piester passed away. No one is running for the Village Clerk or for a 2-year term for the Village Board. Incumbent Daniel (Sam) Wancket is running for one of three 4-year terms, with candidate write-ins also an option for voters.
Five candidates are running for a 4-year term on the Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico Board of Education, with four to be voted in: James Melton and Mallory DeMay in Township 19N Range 5E, Whitney M. Mitchell-DeWitte in Township19N Range 6E, Tya M. Boucher in Township 20N Range 6E, and Katie Selburg in Township 20N Range 5E. No candidates filed to serve an unexpired 2-year term.
Tampico has an uncontested election for one unexpired 2-year term for Village Commissioner, with incumbent James Coleman the only one running. Tampico Township elections are all unopposed, with no one running for Township Assessor.
Erie has four seats up for election that are not being contested. Carla Jaquet is running unopposed for Village President, and so is Michelle Misfeldt for Village Clerk. The Erie Village Board has three running for three open seats for a 4-year trustee term: Tara Kapple, William Berk, and Lukas Jepson. Michelle Blackmer is the only one running for the one of two 2-year terms. The Erie Board of Education has four incumbents running for four 4-year terms: Shelly Punke, Jason Norman, Keith Morgan, and Lance Coers.
Morrison has six open seats on the city council that have either no contest or no one running. Mayor Scott Vandermyde is running unopposed for re-election for another four years, and City Clerk Michael Hemmer is again running for his uncontested seat. Morrison has two openings for the City Council that have no candidates on the ballot in Wards One and Three. For Morrison’s Ward Two, newcomer Seth Buckwalter is running unopposed. In Ward Four, Kevin Bruckner Jr. is running for re-election without a competitor.
In Whiteside County, voters will again be asked to consider changing how 911 emergency services in the county are funded. The Whiteside County Board is asking Whiteside County voters to pass a 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for the 911 emergency call service. Currently, only property owners in Sterling and Rock Falls pay for the county-wide service.
If the referendum does not pass, the county will look to create intergovernmental agreements with local taxing bodies to pay for the system. Without the sales tax, each town, fire, and ambulance district would have to pay a fee based on population. For instance, Tampico would pay more than $17,000 for a service they currently don’t pay for.
A complete list of referendums, candidates, and seats can be found in the sample ballot below. Around Ptown will be featuring the candidates for the contested races over the next two weeks.
