Live Results: Osseo Voters Approve Both School District Levies

UPDATED 9:10 p.m. Nov. 5

Voters may have rejected an Osseo Area Schools operating levy request last year, but that request and a 2013 technology levy sailed through this year.

The operating levy, which will provide an additional $9 million annually for 10 years, won nearly twice as many yes votes as no votes. In all, a solid 63.29 percent voted in favor of the proposal—which will add about $7 per month to the tax bill of a typical home, which is worth $192,000 in the district.

A technology levy, called a capital projects levy on the ballot, passed by a similar margin. About 61.98 percent voted for the proposal, which will bring in $5 million annually for 10 years, adding about $3 per month onto the tax bill of a typical home.

***

Voters in the Osseo school district will see two referendum requests on their ballots this year. The results of the two requests are not tied to one another: One can pass and the other can fail, both can pass or both can fail.

Patch will post live results right here Tuesday night as the results come in. Refresh your browser to see the latest totals.

Operating Levy

Question one is an operating levy that would replace the existing levy with a new one that would provide an additional $9 million annually for 10 years. It would add about $7 per month to the tax bill of a typical home, which is worth $192,000 in the district. A similar request last year failed by just 116 votes when it went before voters. 

On the ballot, voters will see the following language:

SCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTION 1 (ISD #279)

REVOKING EXISTING REFERENDUM REVENUE AUTHORIZATION; APPROVING NEW AUTHORIZATION

The board of Independent School District No. 279 (Osseo Area Schools) has proposed to revoke the school district's existing referendum revenue authorization of approximately $1,535.29 per pupil and to replace that authorization with a new authorization of $1,989.29 per pupil. The school district's actual referendum revenue for any year shall not exceed the statutory maximum for that year. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would increase each year by the rate of inflation and be applicable for ten years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law. Shall the school district's existing referendum revenue authorization be revoked and the increase in the revenue proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 279 be approved? BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU ARE VOTING FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.

Technology Levy

Question two is for a technology levy, which will be called a capital projects levy on the ballot. It would bring in $5 million annually for 10 years, adding about $3 per month onto the tax bill of a typical home.

On the ballot, voters will see the following language:

SCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTION 2 (ISD #279)

SCHOOL DISTRICT BALLOT QUESTION 2 APPROVAL OF SCHOOL DISTRICT CAPITAL PROJECT LEVY AUTHORIZATION

The board of Independent School District No. 279 (Osseo Area Schools) has proposed a capital project levy authorization in the amount of 3.701% times the net tax capacity of the school district. The proposed capital project levy authorization will raise approximately $5,000,000 for taxes payable in 2014, the first year it is to be levied, and would be authorized for ten years. The estimated total cost of the projects to be funded over that time period is approximately $50,000,000. The money raised by the capital project levy authorization will be used to provide funds for the purchase, installation, and maintenance of software and technology for school instruction. The projects to be funded have received a positive review and comment from the Commissioner of Education. Shall the capital project levy proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 279 be approved? BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU ARE VOTING FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.