Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School election set for Sept. 19

School elections are set for Sept. 19 with early voting already underway. According to Nevada County Clerk Julie Oliver, early voting will continue through Monday, Sept. 18, during regular courthouse business hours at the clerks office.

The big issue on the local ballots is the request by the Prescott School Board for a 4.7 millage increase which will bring the local millage rate to 39.8.

The state has mandated repairs and renovations and the board is calling for the millage in order to fund those repairs. Those in support of the increase say its a necessary revenue stream, both to fund the repairs and to increase the schools cash flow.

At the current status, the district is being asked to pay about 40 percent of the cost of the repairs with the state picking up the remainder. Those in favor of the millage increase say that money may not be available in the coming years, meaning the district would be required to pick up more or all of the cost.

Those in favor of the increase say there will only be a slight difference in property taxes, and those in the district who qualify for the Homestead Tax Credit may not pay any increase at all.

Those against the increase say theres no way to predict what the future holds and that theyre concerned on several points. One of those is whether the district will be able to repay loans and bonds used to fund repairs. Even with the millage increase, opponents of the measure say the district could find themselves in financial trouble and that they should wait and see what the state mandates next.

Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon has also said that theres no way to be certain what additional requirements the state might mandate as the rules change with almost every legislative session.

The problem, Deon said, is that waiting could put the district in another problematic situation - facilities distress. She said the students in the district must have specific needs met - including safe, dry and warm classrooms. Without the revenue expected from the millage increase, Deon said the state could take control of the district out of the local board and administrators.

Stockton said the school election polling places are not the same as normal elections. In this case, voters will vote only at the school in their district.

Voters in Rosston and Emmet have no contested races nor are there millage increases proposed. Stockton said those school districts will merely put their updated information into effect by resolution, saving their districts the cost of an election.

In Prescott, voters the ward represented by Position 2 on the school board will be asked to vote for Sandra Tatum, secretary of the school board and the only candidate on the ballot. Position 2 is the only seat up for election this year.

All voters in the Prescott district will be asked to vote for or against the 39.8 mill school tax. Voters should remember that the tax represents a 4.9 mill increase from the current tax level.