News
Referendum voted down
Scott Wagar
11/12/2013
The residents of Bottineau’s school district spoke loudly this past Tuesday when they defeated the referendum vote on building a new $18.9 million elementary school.
Over 1048 residents in the school district voted on two referendums which included:
1. “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.”
2. “Shall the debt limit of Bottineau Public School District #1 of Bottineau, Rolette, Pierce & McHenry Counties, North Dakota, be increased five percent (5%) on the assessed value of the taxable property of the School District beyond the five percent (5%) limit of indebtedness affixed by the Constitution.”
The first question was voted down on a vote of 565 to 438. The first question by law needed a required 60 percent of the vote to pass the general obligation bonds, but only 46 percent of the people voted in favor of the bonds.
In the second question on the debt limit, that ballot question also failed on a vote of 458 to 586. This question needed the majority of the vote, or 51 percent to pass; however, it gained only 44 percent of the yes vote.
Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau School District, said he was pleased with the voter turn out, but would have liked to seen the bond issue passed.
“I am obviously disappointed the bond issue didn’t pass,” Kersten said. “But, I was very pleased with the number of people who voted. I have said from the beginning it is important for people to come out and vote.
“I felt the day went well. There was never a time when the election workers were not busy,” Kersten added. “I want to thank everyone who voted. I appreciated your patience in waiting in line and taking time out of your day to vote.”
In speaking in general with the school district’s residents about the vote and its outcome, all of them stated the district is in dire need of a new school. However, those who voted against the referendums stated that the tax increase was just too much to for them to pay out.
Some of those individuals also added that with the across the board tax in January of 2013; the new unknown residential assessment that will be mailed out to them soon; and the specials placed on their tax bill for the city’s pavement projects, an $18.9 million dollar school project to be taxed on was just too much to expect from them.
The next step for the school board is to discover why the referendums were voted down (cost, the plan, etc.), make new plans and take it back to a district vote.
BOARD MEETING
On Monday evening, the Bottineau School Board held a special meeting to vote on the canvassing of the Nov. 5 election, which was approved by the school board.
The school board then discussed the next step they should take concerning a new school building, which they decided to pursue.
Kersten stated he would like to formulate a survey and mail it to those who voted to get an idea in what the voters would like to see concerning a new building, which the board members agreed was a good idea.
It was decided the board members would write up a number of questions they feel should be in the survey and send them to Kersten before the end of this week. Then, during the next school board meeting, which will be Monday, Nov. 18, Kersten and the board would go over the questions and decide which ones would go into the survey.
Once the survey is mailed out and returned, the school board plans to hold a retreat to discuss what their next plan should be with the answers they received back from the voters and go from there.
RESIGNATION
In other school business, Dr. Mark Pewe resigned as a school board member due to personal reasons, which was accepted by the school board members.
Pewe was the president of the board. Kersten stated that school bylaws state the vice chair of the school board is named the new president during this type of circumstance. Larry Brooks is the vice chair and was named the new president of the school board.
Kersten said that he would be in contact with the state to see if the board can appoint an individual to take Pewe’s position on the board, or if they would need to go through an application process.
Kersten will inform the board at Monday’s meeting.