November 08, 2009
What's Inside:
Voter turnout projected at 30 percent
Opposition argues that the permanent school tax levy on today’s ballot would “give up the right” to vote on it ever again.
Argument aside, however, most people will likely forgo their right to vote when given the chance today.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today for voters in the St. Joseph School District to decide two issues — renewing and making permanent a 63-cent operating levy first approved in 2004, and $45 million in construction bonds for new elementary schools. Other school bond and levy votes are taking place in King City, Rock Port and Nodaway County, plus numerous other local elections in Northwest Missouri.
Buchanan County Clerk Pat Conway predicted a turnout of about 13,000 voters in the St. Joseph School District election. That would translate to a turnout of about 30 percent.
“We’ve had them as low as 7 percent for school district elections for candidates, but this is a tax issue,” Mr. Conway said. “Thirty percent would be one of the stronger turnouts for a local issue.”
In 2004, when the 63-cent levy was approved, more than 21,000 voters cast ballots — a turnout of nearly 50 percent.
That would be the exception to the rule. A year ago, for the school board election, turnout was about 11 percent. The city of St. Joseph’s CIP tax election in 2007 drew a turnout of 18 percent.
Registered voters must vote at their registered polling place, and any address corrections would need to be made from there. People can vote with any one proof of identification, including a voter registration card, a driver’s license, student ID, government ID or even a utility bill or bank statement.
To review ballots and polling places, go online to http://www.buchcomovotes.com/.
Joe Blumberg can be reached at joeblumberg@npgco.com.
This story has 24 comments. Click here to join in on the discussion.
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To review ballots go online to http://www.buchcomovotes.com/.
levy:: If this question is approved, the adjusted operating
levy of the District is estimated to remain at $3.67 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.Forever
Bond::If this question is approved, the District's debt service property tax levy is estimated to increase from $0.31 to $0.53 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.
I will vote Vote No & No.
I will always vote yes for the sake of education.
Um, isn't any/everything only as good as it's weakest link?
It is truly narrow minded,selfish & petty to vote otherwise.
Notz, The POOR, and Sick of carrying the FREELOADERS ALSO vote NO and NO, as do the people who are considering it not right to give this burden to our future generations to carry for ETERNITY, and those who are smart enough to figure that it was not used the last time when we were DUPED into passing it before your Governor released the $30 million dollars that he was HIDING in order to get it passed, but rather put in a savings account, all of the time that our own savings accounts were dwindling to nothing, and those who's HOMES are in worse shape than ANY of the schools but are forced to do NOTHING about it, so we can make a newfangled place for the people to work, who ALREADY make 3 times what retired people do, and then get 3 months vacation a year, and those who retired with a Quarter of a Million dollar IRA that was eaten up on surgerys and medical bills that were needed so that they could LIVE, and those who have to drive 17 yr old cars with 200,000 miles on them that have no method of loading a wheelchair for their spouse, and those who can not afford basic cablevision or to go out and eat once a month, or to buy their grand children a $15.00 gift for their birthday, or do the major needed repairs on the very home that the tax will be raised on so the Teachers and staff can have a fancy place to stay for 7 hrs a day, and only 180 days a year, you were never told to respect your elders but instead call us greedy bastards who don't care about the children, when you know that it is not true, you are just trying to shame someone into giving you your way. I am HONESTLY praying for you, because that's what my LORD said I should do and I know that you need it for wanting to take away ANY hope for continued independence for those who have very little time left on this Earth, in order to give something fancy to those who are just beginning in their journey of Life, and I pray that they grow up to have more compassion about senior citizens during their last years than you do, Father Forgive them for they know NOT what they do. GOD Bless You!
Well said Steve_O and a big NO to Notz. A pair of nos'from this fed up tax payer.
I will be at the polls in a very short time with bells on! It would be wonderful of we just blew the 30% projection out of the water and came out in droves.
I cannot wait to watch the results come in and I hope, hope, hope that they reflect what's best for St. Joseph.
Yes-Yes!
I'm voting yes twice! I can't wait to do what's best for our kids and community.
Supporters-Call your people-Vote yes and yes.
Vote yes twice!
This comment was removed by the site staff.
mcresej April 7, 2009 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)Some of you people amaze me. Both sides. Just because someone doesn't vote the way you do they are "uncaring fools with small packages and little grey matter." I am voting no twice because of how I view the mismanagement of the budget. Especially in a time of economic crisis as we have in the world today. This is not the time. We just spent millions on updating and enlarging these same schools that they now want to close down. Melody Smith wants you to answer why you would allow someone from out of town telling you what to do.....well who is she but someone from out of town telling you what to do?
Just got back from voting yes, twice! Looking forward to seeing the results tonight!!
Sorry Steve-O, although I agree with you about the "freeloaders", I find it pretty hard to lump the children of this community in that category. They have a right to best education we can provide for them, therefore, I voted YES TWICE!!
Sorry "mcrese" but siting the "mismanagement of the budget" as a reason to not fund the salaries and basic operating cost for the school system is simply short sided. As of now it is either pay for salaries and not punish students and teachers for politican actions or try to send a message to the politicans via this vote. I'm sorry but this is wrong. Vote how you will on the second one for the building of schools, but not on the operation costs. And vote the politicians out when you get a chance. Don't put more people out of jobs and punish the kids.
I just voted YES TWICE!!! I understand people who are retired feeling like this takes away their income, but I too am on a FIXED income. I have worked at the same job for 2 years & have not received a raise (and I doubt I see one this year either)so my income is FIXED also. I must drive to work 5 days a week & spend money buying gasoline for my vehicle to earn my Fixed income. But I still voted yes twice so maybe the children of St. Joseph can receive a quality education & do better than I have!
SteveO-I'm sorry for you, if this is how bad your money situation is; although, I too wish all people would have to pay for the tax. But, there will always be poor and I'm glad I have the finances to pay for their child's education. As to fixing up your house; 30 to 50 dollars will not fix much...and if your house is that bad perhaps you should have the county re-access the value of your home. I don't mean that meanly I have the utmost respect for people and their situations. To others, being mean spirited and calling people names never helps a cause. I can understand being caught up in the moment, but being mean does not bring yes votes...and after all isn't that what we want? I do, I'm going to vote now both YES/YES, I hope to see all the yes voters there. No voters it's terribly cold out there, you shouldn't go vote :}
aside from how everybody will vote its sad that more people dont exercise their right to vote..everytime there is something to vote about im there..ive only been able to vote for 6 years..but i never miss it..
Join me and hit a home run for the kids by voting yes twice. One other quick thought - when I saw the district had a 32 million dollar reserve I was somewhat shocked. I don't think it's enough. With a budget of a school district of this size, I would think they would need a reserve (or surplus) of at least twice that amount.
It doesn't matter what you vote as long as you exercise your right to vote! Both sides have valid points. There are a lot of good questions that deserve to be answered and issues that have been brought out that should be addressed. But if you don't vote then you have no right to sit and complain about the results. Vote!
I think what I find most exciting about this issue is how many young people care. I was told, by my daughter, that face book is full of young people saying vote yes. Seeing how important this issue is to our future students should be reason enough to vote yes. It seems they feel they want St. Joseph to move ahead so they can stay here.
There has been a lot of postings about the 32 million and the school administration's mismanagement. One county in Florida the school system is 240 million dollars short. Another county next to it is 80 million dollars short.
Now which of these situations would you consider mismanagement. One that could run for several months on their surplus or systems that have no choice but to close 22 schools. You decide.
The people have spoken.