(Area) – Special Elections were held in Adams, Adair-Union, and Shelby Counties in our listening area, Tuesday. Unofficial results in Adams County, indicate voters there rejected an $8.5 million bond issue that would have provided for multiple renovations at the county’s courthouse. The measure failed by 238 NO votes to 229 YES votes. The bond issue would have meant an increase of $0.63 per $1,000 valuation on property taxes, or around $30 annually for a $100,000 home, and would have served to provided sufficient space for the Sheriff’s Office but also a more secure mode for transporting prisoners.

In Shelby County, voters in the Harlan Community School District approved a $22.9 million bond issue. Unofficial results show Proposition TD (the bond) passed with 1003 yes votes to 660 no votes (60.31% to 39.69%). The second measure, Proposition TE (The Revenue Purpose Statement), passed by 1,104 yes to 538 no votes (67.24% to 32.76%). The District will now proceed with renovations and upgrades to all four buildings on HCSD campus, as previously mentioned. The school district will contribute $9.1 million from its state funding toward completion of the projects.

Voters in the Orient-Macksburg Community School District, Tuesday, approved a 10-year renewal of the PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy), not to exceed One-dollar per thousand dollars of assessed property valuation, effective with the collection of taxes in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. Public Measure D passed by 59 YES votes to just nine NO votes. A simple majority was needed to pass. Officials say only 68 out 606 (or, 11%) of the registered voters cast their ballots during the election.

And, votes in the Creston Community School District appear to have fallen short of the amount needed to pass a proposed $29.4-million bond issue. Officials say (Unofficial) combined Adam & Union County results indicated 817 voted against the measure, while 812 voted to pass it. A 60% majority was needed for the second attempt to pass the measure in the district. A similar vote fell about 4% short of the 60% in March.

School officials were hoping to use proceeds from the bond issue, along with $15.5 million in SAVE funds and $1.1 million in PPEL dollars for the project, to make an addition to the existing facility housing 1st through 8th graders. The project would have also allowed for the retirement of the district’s early childhood center housing pre-K and kindergarten students, thus creating a centralized campus for pre-K-through-5th graders. Also included was construction of a multipurpose facility plus performing arts and classroom facility improvements.