PUBLIC NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE ALGONA AND LUVERNE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Notice is hereby given to the qualified electors of the Algona School District and LuVerne School District in the County of Kossuth, State of Iowa, that a Special School Election will be held on Tuesday, September 13th, 2022, with the polls opening at 7:00 a.m. and closing at 8:00 p.m. This notice of the Special Election is given by order of the Kossuth County Commissioner of Elections in compliance with the laws of Iowa Code, Section 275.12(6).
The said school districts constitute thirteen voting precincts in Kossuth County and this election will be conducted at each precinct as follows:
Bancroft Summit Center
304 S Summit St, Bancroft, Iowa Precincts: RM & GW SN For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona School District lying within
Ramsey and Greenwood Townships in Kossuth County.
Buffalo Creek Activity Center
542 Dieckman St NE, Titonka, Iowa Precinct: BF GM PT For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona School District lying within Buffalo, German and Portland Townships and City of Titonka in Kossuth County, Grant Township in Winnebago County, and Bingham Township in Hancock County.
Burt Activity Complex
406 Bush St, Burt, Iowa Precinct: BT For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona School District lying within Burt Township and City of Burt in Kossuth County.
Columbia Events Center
1501 E Walnut St, Algona, Iowa Precincts: AL1, AL2, AL3, AL4, CR1, CR2, CR RV, IV, PC, UN CR For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona and LuVerne School Districts lying within Cresco, Irvington, Plum Creek, Riverdale and Union Townships and City of Algona in Kossuth County.
LuVerne Community Center
109 Dewitt St, LuVerne, Iowa Precinct: LV SM For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona and LuVerne School Districts lying within LuVerne and Sherman Townships and City of LuVerne in Kossuth County. Humboldt and Vernon Townships and City of LuVerne in Hancock County
Wesley Community Center
205 Main St, Wesley, Iowa Precinct: PR WL For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona and LuVerne School Districts lying within Wesley and Prairie Townships and City of Wesley in Kossuth County
Whittemore Fire Station
405 Railroad St, Whittemore, Iowa Precinct: GF WM & FT LC For Electors who live in that portion of said Algona School District lying within Lotts Creek and Whittemore Townships and City of Whittemore in Kossuth County.
Voter pre-registration deadline is 5:00 P.M., Friday, September 2nd, 2022, at the Kossuth County Auditor’s Office. Absentee ballots are available in the County Auditor’s office during regular business hours.
Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on Election Day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required): 1) may have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents 3) cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the Kossuth County Auditor’s office by noon on Thursday, September 15th, 2022. Election Day Registrant attesters must provide an approved form of identification. For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence visit: https://sos.iowa/gov/voterid or phone 515-295-2718.
Any voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle. For further information, please contact the County Auditor’s office at 515-295-2718 or email teden@kossuthcounty.iowa.gov.
All ballots will contain three public measures as follows:
1) Shall the Algona Community School District, located in Kossuth County, Hancock County, and Winnebago County, State of Iowa, and the Lu Verne Community School District, located in Kossuth County, Hancock County, and Humboldt County, State of Iowa, be reorganized into a new school district and school corporation to be known as the Algona Community School District, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 275, Code of Iowa, and effective July 1, 2023, to include all of the current territory of both districts as legally described in the Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency Board of Director's Resolution published in the Kossuth County Advance and the Humboldt Independent on May 26, 2022, and with an initial board of seven (7) directors appointed from existing Boards pursuant to Section 275.41, Code of Iowa (the alternative method of carryover appointments), with six (6) directors initially appointed from the Algona Community School District Board of Directors and one (1) director initially appointed from the Lu Verne Community School District Board of Directors, and a regular Board of seven (7) directors elected thereafter pursuant to Section 275.12(2)(a), Code of Iowa, with seven (7) directors elected at large, and with the immediate merger of the entirety of the assets and liabilities of the two present Districts on the effective date of the reorganization, July 1, 2023?
2) Summary: To adopt a Revenue Purpose Statement specifying the use of revenues the Algona Community School District will receive from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanc ed Vision for Education Fund, beginning July 1, 2023. In the Algona Community School District, the following Revenue Purpose Statement which specifies the use of revenues the Algona Community School District will receive from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund shall be adopted.
To provide funds to acquire or install information technology infrastructure (including improving buildings or sites for the purpose of accessing broadband digital telecommunications) and school safety and security infrastructure. To provide funds to build and furnish a new school building or buildings; to build and furnish addition(s) to school buildings in the District; to remodel, reconstruct, repair, expand, and improve the school buildings in the District; to purchase and improve grounds; for demolition work; to furnish and equip district facilities.
To provide funds for the purchase, lease or lease-purchase of buildings, equipment (including transportation and recreation equipment), or technology and to repair transportation equipment for transporting students as authorized by law, to implement energy conservation measures, sharing or rental of facilities including a joint infrastructure project for the purposes of offering classes under district-to-community college programs as authorized in Iowa Code Section 423F.3(3)(c), procuring or acquisition of libraries, or opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings.
To provide funds to purchase land as part of start-up costs for new student construction program or if the sale of the previous student construction was insufficient to purchase land, and to purchase construction materials and supplies for a student-constructed building or shed intended to be retained by and used by the District. To provide funds to make payments to a municipality or other entity as required under Iowa Code Section 403.19(2).
To provide funds for demolition, cleanup, and other costs if such costs are necessitated by, and incurred within two years of, a disaster. To provide funds to establish and maintain public recreation places and playgrounds; provide for supervision and instruction for recreational activities; or for community education purposes. To provide funds for the payment of principal and interest or retirement of general obligation bonds issued for school infrastructure purposes, energy improvement loans, loan agreements authorized by Iowa Code Section 297.36, sales, service and use tax revenue bonds issued under Iowa Code Section 423E.5 or Iowa Code Section 423F.4.
To provide funds for property tax relief; and To provide funds for other authorized expenditures and purposes as now or hereafter permitted by law and designated by the Algona Community School District. It being understood that if this proposition should fail to be approved by the voters, such failure shall not be construed to terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to expend receipts from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund. If approved, this Revenue Purpose Statement shall remain in effect until replaced or amended by the Algona Community School District.
3) Shall the Board of Directors of the Algona Community School District, in the Counties of Kossuth, Winnebago, Hancock, and Humboldt, State of Iowa, for the purpose of purchasing and improving grounds; constructing schoolhouses or buildings and opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings; purchasing of buildings; purchase, lease or lease-purchase of technology and equipment; paying debts contracted for the erection or construction of schoolhouses or buildings, not including interest on bonds; procuring or acquisition of libraries; repairing, remodeling, reconstructing, improving, or expanding the schoolhouses or buildings and additions to existing schoolhouses; expenditures for energy conservation; renting facilities under Iowa Code Chapter 28E; purchasing transportation equipment for transporting students; lease purchase option agreements for school buildings or equipment; purchasing equipment authorized by law; or for any purpose or purposes now or hereafter authorized by law, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy annually, a voter-approved physical plant and equipment property tax not to exceed One Dollar Thirty-Four Cents ($1.34) per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) of the assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district commencing with the levy for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, or each year thereafter?
If a majority of eligible electors voting on the question fail to approve this Revenue Purpose Statement, then upon expiration of the current Revenue Purpose Statement, revenues received by the School District from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education fund shall be expended in the following order: The payment of bonds for which SAVE Revenue has been pledged;
Reduction of bond levies under Iowa Code Sections 298.18 and 298.18A and all other debt levies; Reduction of the regular and voter-approved physical plant and equipment levy under Iowa Code Section 298.2; Reduction of the public educational and recreational levy under Iowa Code Section 300.2; For any authorized infrastructure purpose of the school district as defined in Iowa Code Section 423F.3(6); and For the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued under Iowa Code Sections 423E.5 and 423F.4.
Public Demonstration
Public testing of the County Voting Equipment will commence on Friday, September 2nd, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. until completion of the required test. The testing will take place in the Election Center located at 108 S Hall Street, Algona, IA. The public is welcome to attend this demonstration.
Dated this 18th day of August, 2022
/s/ Tammy Eden Kossuth County Auditor Commissioner of Elections