(Spirit Lake)– Dickinson county voters will head to the polls–perhaps as early as this spring–to vote on a proposal to extend the local option sales tax for schools an additional 10 years. The current tax expires in 2010.
Under Iowa code, school boards representing atleast 50 percent of students in the county have to adopt the resolution. The Spirit Lake board, which represents 46 percent of the county’s residents, approved the measure Monday. The Harris-Lake Park board approved it Monday evening. That was enough and then-some to meet the 50 percent requirement.
The two schools are concerned a bill that would make the sales tax statewide could pass the legislature. Schools that already have the tax in place would see it expire at the end of its 10-year sunset. After that, they would go into a pool with other schools in the state. Spirit Lake Superintendent Tim Grieves says the amount of money the districts get would be much less under that system.
According to the bill’s language, districts looking to extend their tax would need to schedule an election prior to April 1st. Grieves says that’s why it was crucial to get the resolution passed now.
However, two districts say they want to see what the legislature does. The Okoboji and Terril school boards tabled action on the resolution calling for a special election.
It will be up to Nancy Reiman, Dickinson County Commissioner of Elections, to set a date for the election.
