River Falls: Vote, vote, vote

• Kinnickinnic Town Hall

Voting was described as light just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Kinnickinnic Town Hall. Phil Pfuehler photo.

Talk about it

The polls are open all day today, Tuesday, Nov. 8, until 8 p.m. Only one issue is on the ballot for River Falls school district voters – a referendum tax levy totaling more than $38 million. The referendum will require voters to vote yes or no on three questions.

This is the second school referendum in seven months. The first one in April for a similar amount was defeated in a close vote.

This time the referendum is broken up into three categories. Each category carries a price tag.

The overall goal, say school supporters, remains to upgrade, renovate and expand the existing buildings to they can all run efficiently and effectively for several more decades.

Opponents have questioned the decision to hold another costly referendum in the same year with a stagnant economy.

The second referendum does allow voters who are so inclined to pick and choose a part of the referendum they believe in and can afford.

Voting is taking place now in the town halls: Kinnickinnic, Troy, Pleasant Valley, Clifton, River Falls and Martel.

City residents vote at either the high school, middle school, National Guard Armory or the University Center at UW-River Falls.

The new Wisconsin voter I.D. law is slowly taking effect.

Voters will be asked, but not required, to show a driver’s license or other identification that has their picture. By the spring election all voters must show a photo I.D. to vote.

If the first referendum passes, the owner of a $200,000 property would see school-related property taxes go up by $60 a year; for question two, $78. If all three questions pass, the $200,000 property owner would see a yearly school tax levy increase of $154.

Tags: river falls, news, elections, politics