The Starke County Election Board will be meeting Thursday, Jan. 31 to discuss the public question to be presented to the Knox Community School District voters in a special election on May 7. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
The election board must approve the school board’s request to have the public question on the ballot. Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski said this is the first time in a non-election year that a special election has been requested in many, many years. She added that only voters in the six Center Township precincts, California Township 1 and 2, and Washington Township 1 and 2 will be able to vote on the public question.
The proposed question, which has to first be approved by the Department of Local Government Finance, reads as follows: “Shall the Knox Community School Corporation issue bonds or enter into a lease to finance the renovation of and the construction of an addition to replace a portion of Knox Elementary School, which includes the central office area, technology and site improvements (the “Project”), which Project is estimated to cost not more than $16,000,000 and is estimated to increase the property tax rate for debt service by a maximum of $0.2802 per $100 of assessed valuation?”
The DLGF will review the proposed question and offer recommendations as soon as possible.
The County Auditor must certify the final question by Feb. 20 in order for it to appear on the ballot.
This special election is expected to cost $10,000-$12,000 and will be paid for by the Knox Community School Corporation. The cost includes the expense of the ballot set-up, and the salary of poll, travel board and absentee board workers.
