News
School district has numerous townships in four counties which residents are eligible to cast a vote on Nov. 5
Tyler Ohmann
10/29/2013
As voters head to the polls on Nov. 5 to vote on the referendum for a new school building in the Bottineau School District, there is some confusion of who can vote and cannot vote when it takes place next Tuesday.
DISTRICT
The school district is a little confusing considering it is made up of townships from Bottineau, Rolette, Pierce and McHenry counties.
Within Bottineau County, the school district is made up of the townships of Amity, Cecil, Cordelia, Dalen, Homen, Lordsburg, Pickering, Roland, Oak Valley, Oak Creek and Whitteron; along with portions of Eidsvold, Elysian, Ostby, Peabody, Scandia, Starbuck, Whitby, Willow Creek, Willow Vale and Wellington townships in the county.
In Rolette County, sections of the townships adjourned to Bottineau County’s townships of Homen, Cecil and Wellington may also vote.
In McHenry Country, a small segment of Willow Creek Township is part of the Bottineau School District, along with a portion of Barton Township in Pierce County. (To see the townships that are included in the Bottineau School District, go to page 10A in this issue of the Courant.)
WHO CAN VOTE
To vote on Nov. 5, an individual must be a full time, permanent resident of the Bottineau School District. So, for example, one who has property in the school district, but does not live permanently in the district, cannot vote. For example, if an individual from Minot has a summer cabin at Lake Metigoshe, but is a full time, permanent resident in Minot, that individual will not be able to vote on Nov. 5.
To be eligible, one must have been a resident in the Bottineau School District for the past 30 days preceding the election.
Individuals, who are not certain if they qualify or not to vote, should contact Lisa Herbel, the auditor of Bottineau County, with their questions.
TAXES
When it comes to taxes, individuals, who pay taxes in the school district, will have additional taxes placed on their tax roll if the referendum passes next Tuesday. This includes individuals that have property in the school district, but are not permanent residents of the district.
BALLOT QUESTIONS
The ballot will have two questions on Nov. 5, which include:
● Shall Bottineau Public School District #1 of Bottineau, Rolette, Pierce & McHenry Counties, North Dakota, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount not to exceed $18,900,000 for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other funds available, to construct, remodel, improve and equip school buildings, including construction of a new elementary school in Bottineau,
North Dakota.
● Shall the debt limit of Bottineau Public School District #1 of Bottineau, Rolette, Pierce & McHenry Counties, North Dakota, be increased five percent (5 percent) on the assessed value of the taxable property of the School District beyond the five percent (5 percent) limit of indebtedness affixed by the Constitution.
COST
The total cost of the school building the district wants to construct is $18.9 million. If the approximate tax impact is based on $100,000 on true and full value of residential and agricultural and/or commercial property for the 2013 fiscal year, the tax increase will be as follows with a 2.63 estimated interest rate:
● Residential - $230.94 a year or $19.25 a month
● Ag/Commercial - $256.60 a year or $21.39 a month
The mills required are 51.32 and the additional tax would go on individuals’ tax roll for the next 20 years.
Residents can also vote with an absentee ballot, which is presently available from the school district’s business manager between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; or, through the school’s website at www.bottineau.k12.nd.us/2013/09/19/absentee-ballot/
Once at the site, follow the directions posted.
Absentee ballots are available now and a number of individuals have already voted.
If the vote passes, construction of the new school will start in the spring of 2014. If, the vote fails, the school board will study why it failed (cost, the plan, etc.) and take it back to a district vote concerning if it is a similar or different plan.
The voting will take place at the Holwell Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters will need to show an ID with residents’ address and date of birth.
For any additional information on the referendum vote, call the Bottineau School District’s Superintendent, Jason Kersten, at (701) 228-2266.