Hays Post
In a letter sent out last week, the Hays USD 489 administration shared information about a petition that would allow a vote to be held concerning a Hays sales tax, which would be used to help pay a potential bond issue.
That petition is available to sign at each of the district’s schools and the Rockwell Administration Center, 323 W. 12th St. The petitions can be signed at the front desk of each school or at the Board Clerk’s office in the Rockwell Center.
The letter sent follows:
Dear Parent, Guardian, and USD 489 Staff, USD 489 is preparing for a $94,035,000 bond issue election this spring. The district would like to give voters the option to choose how the bond issue would be funded. The petition is attached to this email and will be available at all of your home schools in the front office to sign if you so choose.
By signing this petition, you will be allowing voters to decide if they want to help pay for the proposed bond issue with sales tax revenues and an increase to the mill levy. If the sales tax question passes, USD 489 would take over the half-cent sales tax that voters are currently paying for Ellis County’s improvements to county facilities. The county tax will sunset in October of 2018. USD 489 would benefit from that half-cent at the expiration of the county tax.
If approved, the half-cent sales tax would expire after ten years. If the bond issue does not pass, but the sales tax question passes, the sales tax would not be imposed. It is contingent upon a successful bond issue election being approved by voters.
The County Clerk’s office will have to verify all signatures. We are hoping to collect at least 1,600 signatures by February 19, 2016. If you are a registered voter that lives within city limits, you are eligible to sign this petition. If you have questions regarding the petition or whether or not you are a registered voter, please call Sarah Wasinger at 785-623-2400. Thank you for considering signing this petition.
Sincerely,
Sarah Wasinger
USD 489 Board Clerk