Absentee Voting Now Available For Emmetsburg CSD Residents

$29.75 million bond referendum on the ballot for a new elementary school

EMMETSBURG, IOWA — Registered voters in the Emmetsburg Community School District can now cast an absentee ballot in person at the Palo Alto County Auditor’s Office.

The office is located on the main floor of the Palo Alto County Courthouse, 1010 Broadway St., in Emmetburg. Voting is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through November 4. A valid ID is required.

Absentee ballots will also be mailed to voters who submitted request forms, beginning October 16. The deadline to request a mailed ballot is October 21. Ballots must be received by the auditor’s office before the polls close on election day, November 5, to be counted.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. Voters can find their polling locations on the Iowa Secretary of State's website or by contacting the Palo Alto County Auditor's Office. Voter registration will be available at polling locations on election day.

Public Measure B, a $29.75 million bond referendum for Emmetsburg CSD, will appear on the ballot. If approved by at least 60% of voters, the funds will be used to construct a new PK-4 school to replace West Elementary.

The bond issue will be the last item listed on the back page of local ballots.

An approved bond referendum would have an estimated tax impact of $2.54 per year for every $1,000 of taxable property value. For a home with an assessed value of $150,000, this would result in an increase of $13.69 per month. The monthly impact for a home with an assessed value of $150,000 using the Homestead Tax Exemption for Seniors (65+) would be $12.32.

For agricultural property, the annual tax impact would be $3.19 per acre, based on the Palo Alto County average assessed value of $1,749 per acre

For more information about facility challenges at West Elementary and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.emmetsburgbond.org.

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