Partial November 7 ballot review

Here is a partial look at municipal issues and races for the upcoming election on November 7. Those not included will be covered next week.

LaCrosse School

LaCrosse School District is asking residents to pass a three-year replacement capital levy to modernize, renovate and improve school facilities. The school would collect $1.1 million over the three years, with $366,666 each year.

Estimated levy rate would be $2.15 per $1,000 assessed value of property.

“We decided years ago not to do a school bond,” noted Doug Curtis, LaCrosse’s part-time superintendent.

The school district chose to fund the needed improvements and renovations using levies rather than issue bonds which involve interest expenses.

“We’re just trying to be really prudent with school funds,” Curtis said.

The new levy request comes at the tail end of a six-year, $2.2 million levy.

“It’s not a new tax, it’s a continuation of an old one, but the taxes go down,” Curtis noted. The old levy rate was $2.59 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Funds from the six-year levy paid to replace boilers and chillers, re-roof all three school buildings, carpet classrooms and halls in elementary and secondary buildings, install security cameras in elementary and install lockdown system with new doors and locks in all buildings.

Other projects include remodeling the science lab, replacing windows in the secondary buildings, upgrading computer technology including replacing all servers and upgrading to CAT6 lines, remodeling part of the kitchen, installing new heaters in the music room, weight room, locker room and shop; upgrading lighting and viewing for the football field, all electrical panels and equipment in all buildings and upgrade outside irrigation.

With the new levy funds, the school would focus on upgrading the heating and air conditioning which were installed in the 1960s and 1970s.

“That’s the most expensive upgrade,” Curtis noted. It will require the ceiling in the high school to be removed and tunneling under the elementary. Initial estimates put the cost of the project at $1 million.

“We’re going to explore other options,” Curtis said, noting the school wants to be as responsible and prudent with the funds as possible. Other projects will be to update the gym locker rooms, bathrooms, concessions and entry; build new sidewalks, and install additional security cameras for the entire school campus.

The last of the funds from the six-year levy will come in at the beginning of 2018.

If passed, funds from the new levy would first come in at the end of 2018.

LaCrosse Parks and Rec

LaCrosse Parks and Recreation seeks to continue its maintenance and operation levy which funds the town’s swimming pool during summer months and supports youth sports programs.

“This community has been really supportive in all this,” noted Tricia Aune, board member.

The levy will be for $50,000 at about $ .31 per $1,000 of assessed value.

St. John

Three levy measures are now before St. John residents on the Nov. 7 ballot. All are continuations of long-standing levies .

The town’s Proposition 1 is for street improvements and maintenance. It covers chip sealing and other road maintenance to keep the roadways in their best shape.

“This is the third year in a row we have not raised the tax rate,” noted Linda Hayes, town clerk/treasurer. The tax rate is $2.17 per $1,000 assessed value to collect $70,000.

Proposition 2 is to cover water and sewer upgrades and capital improvements.

“We do know we will need to build a new sewer plant in the next few years,” Hayes said. Funds from previous levies have already been set aside for that project which is expected to cost millions of dollars.

“We’ve just been trying to save up for it,” she said. The levy has also been used to replace water lines a few years ago. The levy is for $80,000 which would come from $2.48 per $1,000 assessed value.

Hayes added that the citizens have been good about supporting the town’s levies and the town works in the hope the residence see the value in them.

St. John Parks and Recreation seeks to continue its maintenance and operation levy which covers costs associated to the town’s pool and some summer sports programs.

Last year parks and rec had to replace the boiler.

“That’s what comes out of the levy,” said Roger Beck, pool manager. Since the department had been saving money from its levies, it was able to pay for the boiler without added strain.

This year the little pool will need to be re-seamed in addition to regular maintenance. Beck noted some of those maintenance costs are $6,000 to heat the pool for the summer and $3,000 just for chlorine. The pool was built in 1948 and funds from levies have kept it viable, including replacing all the metal pipes under the pool with plastic and upgrading filters. The levy would collect $ .253 per $1,000 of assessed value for $55,000.

Endicott District 6

Endicott’s Fire Protection District #6 position 2 commissioner seat held by Charmaine Despain is being contested by Phillip Luft. Despain noted the work she and the other commissioners have done to bring in new equipment for the fire district.

“We’re trying to upgrade our equipment. Our stuff is pretty old,” she said.

Luft acknowledged the new equipment, but felt the money used to buy them could be spent better. He cited the purchase of a brand new fire truck when two used ones could have been purchased instead.

“I want to see the department go in the right direction,” he said. As a farmer paying the district’s levies, he wants to see the money used economically.

Both are volunteer firefighters. Luft is also an EMT.

Colton

Town of Colton will hold a special election to authorize levy of additional taxes in 2018 of approximately $1.09 per $1,000 of assessed value, to raise $30,000 for general operations, improvement of town streets and water/sewer systems.

Farmington

Town of Farmington Special Election Proposition No. 1 would finance street maintenance and repair and street improvements. If approved, the town would collect an excess property tax levy upon all taxable property within the town in the amount of $12,000; an estimated $1.44 or less per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2018.

Oakesdale

In Oakesdale, residents will decide on four levies.

The first is whether the town should levy a special tax of $14,000, an estimated $0.81 per $1,000 of 2017 assessed valuation for Public Safety to fund fire protection, to be collected in 2018.

Residents also will make the call on a $41,000 streets levy, an estimated $2.38 per $1,000 of assessed value for street work, street lights, street expenses and maintenance. If passed, it would be collected in 2018.

Oakesdale also has a Park and Recreation District levy on the ballot for $80,000, at a rate of $.46 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Funds would be used for operating, maintaining and improving recreational facilities.

An Oakesdale Cemetery District No. 1 levy calls for a special levy tax of $55,000, collected at an estimated $.37 of $1,000 of assessed valuation for collection in 2018, for continued improvement and general maintenance of the Oakesdale Cemetery.

Palouse

Palouse residents will decide on three property tax levies.

Proposition No. 1 is $44,000 for street improvements and street oiling. Collection would be at $.78 per $1,000 of assessed value. Proposition No. 2 is $34,000 for operation and maintenance of the swimming pool. Rate would be $0.603 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The third levy up for vote in Palouse is for emergency medical services, a collection of 50 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation over six years.

Tekoa

In Tekoa, a special election will be held for a $50,000 levy to chip seal parts of Line Street, Howard Street, Lake Street, College Street and Park Street. Any leftover funds would be used as matching money for a potential Park Street reconstruction project, which may be funded in part by the state Transportation Improvement fund.

Town council races

Town council seats in several towns are contested.

Tekoa has two such races. For position No. 6, voters will decide between Wendy Sienknecht and incumbent Ted Blaszak. For position No. 3, Alyssa Heagy, incumbent, goes against Jason Fletcher. Town councils are all four-year terms.

In Farmington, town council position No. 1 puts Marcy Goossen against Lavon Erickson. For Position No. 5, W. Mark Hellinger goes against Jason Brausen.

In Garfield, Town council, position No. 4 puts David Jones against Cande Hasenoehrl. Town council position No. 5, the choice is Tom Tevlin or Kevin Pickron.

LaCrosse has one contested race on the ballot for council position 5 which is a four year seat. Incumbent Donna Wigen is being challenged by Melody Wise.

“I like to be active in the community,” said Wise who was born and raised in LaCrosse.

Wigen chose to make no comment.

School District races

For the Tekoa School District, Director, board position No. 5 has two candidates; incumbent Brandon VanDalsen and Fran Martin.

Mayor

In Garfield, the mayor’s race is between incumbent Ray McCown and previous mayor Jarrod Pfaff. McCown seeks his second term of his current mayorship, a third chapter after he served as mayor from 1972-1988, followed by another term in the early 2000s.

Pfaff served from 1997 to 2013.