One item is on the ballot for Highland Community School District residents – a $3.7 million bond measure. Election Day is Tuesday. If approved, the funds would be used to upgrade the HVAC system and windows, expand space for the fine arts department, and improve the elementary school playground so it is ADA compliant. Superintendent Ken Crawford explained with rising property valuations, the tax rate will not fluctuate more than 15 cents, “This is a rare position that I hope everybody when they go out and they vote, we have taxes $13.09 per $1,000 assessed value, we can keep it, and when I say level, we believe with our work through Piper-Jaffrey, who’s our financial people who talk a lot about how we do our taxes and stuff, we believe we can keep it within in a dime to 15 cents of the same area over the next nine years. And pay off a bond in nine years, and hopefully a little sooner if assessed values continue to go up. And we can pay off a little bit quicker on some stuff.” In Fiscal Year 2014 the Highland tax rate was $16.52 and it has dropped each year since then.

Votes can be cast early in person at the Washington County Courthouse. Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in both Ainsworth and Riverside. Riverside residents can vote at Riverside City Hall, and Ainsworth residents can vote at the former elementary school. Listen to KCII September 10th for live results on the bond measure.