The results of the March 5 special election for rural voters are confusing, just as the ballot questions were from the beginning.
Rural voters by a narrow margin approved the Local Option Sales and Service Tax (LOSST) without a sunset date, to be effective when the current LOSST was scheduled to sunset – July 1, 2027, by a vote of 82-78. That question appeared as Proposition IK on the ballot.
Proposition IK also specified that 100 percent of the LOSST revenues would be expended for “any lawful purpose.”
However, a second question on the ballot, Proposition L, failed by a vote of 88 “no” votes to 73 “yes” votes. That proposition did not remove the sunset date, but stated the same proposed use for the revenue – 100 percent for any lawful purpose.
The change in the revenue purpose statement was to ensure that general obligation bonds could be sold with LOSST revenue as the source of repayment. The GO bonds are needed to install an updated HVAC system at the courthouse.
The HVAC project is in limbo, however, as federal ARPA funds would be used to pay for a portion of the HVAC project, and the ARPA funds needed to by obligated by the end of this year or returned to the federal government. If the county is unable to bond for the remainder of the project, it may be downsized to include only a new boiler, not new ventilation and air conditioning.
County auditor Billie Jo Hoskins said Tuesday night she was unsure when the revenue purpose could be on a ballot again.
