RINCON —  Municipal elections are set Tuesday in Rincon and Guyton. 

In Rincon, voters have four options for three seats — incumbents Reese Browher, James Dasher and Paul Wendelken, and Patrick Kirkland. The top three vote-getters will be seated on the city council.

Dasher spent recent days refuting an anonymous allegation. On Oct. 18, the Effingham Herald received an unsigned letter that says he is in arrears in his federal, state and local taxes and doesn’t have a plan in place to catch up. 

The letter states, “I understand that it is permitted if he is on a payment plan to take care of this debt, but I do not think this is the case. How can we allow an elected official to determine budgets for a city when he does not even pay his own responsibilities?”

The letter continues, “Mr. Dasher was recently interviewed by the Effingham Herald where he stated he felt it was time to initiate a property tax. He would like the citizens to be taxed but not pay his. I hope you will look into this.”

Dasher didn’t dodge the question when asked about the anonymous accusation.

“Yes, I fell on hard times when the real estate market crumbled (in 2008),” he said. Yes, I have IRS debt and, yes, I pay a monthly payment to the IRS.”

Dasher, who said he has no delinquent local tax debt, was a real estate broker and developer with several multi-million projects when the U.S. economy went into recession and the housing market plummeted. He managed to get by and support his family during the downturn by using funds in his 401k. This move created additional debt through taxes and penalties but bankruptcy and foreclosure were avoided.

A federal tax lien notice was filed against Dasher as recently as April 30, 2018. It was for $9.133.44. Additional federal and state liens go back to 2010, including one for $56,072.63.

“I have served this community for sixteen of the past seventeen years as an elected official,” Dasher, an eight-year council member who also served eight years on the Effingham County Board of Education, said Tuesday. “My track record is my campaign. One week from (Tuesday), we will see if the residents of Rincon are happy with my service or if they would rather have someone else for the next four years.

“I will accept and be content with the results.”

Three seats are up for grabs in Guyton, including the mayor position and Post 1 and Post 2.

Michael Garvin and Russell Deen are vying for the mayor’s gavel held by Jeff Lariscy, who opted against a re-election bid. Garvin was mayor before Lariscy.

The Post 1 candidates are Tamela Mydell and Marshall Reiser. The Post 2 race features Michael Gerwig, Andy Harville and Hursula Pelote.

Sam Hartis withdrew from the Post 2 race last week.

In Springfield, the election was canceled because the incumbents in the seats up for grabs were the only candidates to qualify.