Cambridge School District levy passes

By: 
Steve Lyon

Voters in Cambridge split on two funding measures that were on the May 21 election ballot.
 Voters in the city limits rejected a special revenue bond to pay for water system improvements, while voters in the school district approved a supplemental levy.
 The vote margin was 2-to-1 in favor of the Cambridge School District’s plant and facilities levy. The measure easily passed with 67.2 percent of the votes in support (109) and 32.7 percent (53) opposed. A simple majority was required for passage.
 There were 582 registered voters eligible to vote on the school district levy, including six voters who registered on election day, and 162 votes were cast.
 The turnout in the levy election was 27.84 percent, according to unofficial results from the county clerk’s office.
 Cambridge School District trustees approved a resolution in March to seek voter support for  a plant and facilities levy that will raise $100,000 annually for five years for a total of $500,000. The proceeds will be used for upgrades and improvements to district buildings.
 School district trustees and administrators held three informational meetings on the plant and facilities levy prior to the election.  
 The school district takes in portions of both Washington and Adams counties and enrolls about 140 students.
 With the passage of the supplemental levy, the school district will  finalize budget plans for the next fiscal year.
 Voters in the city of Cambridge shot down a ballot measure to raise up to $1.75 million in revenue bonds to pay for water system improvements, including arsenic treatment.
 There were 52 votes, or 65.8 percent of the total, against the revenue bond measure. The number of votes in favor totaled 27, or 34.18 percent.
 Only voters within the city limits could vote on the revenue bonds. There were 181 registered voters who were eligible to vote on the ballot issue.
 Customers of the city’s municipal water system would have been required to pay off the debt over a period of time not to exceed 40 years. Approval of the ballot measure requires a simple majority of votes in favor of it.
 The city council put the funding measure on the ballot in an effort to raise funds for water system upgrades.  
 The city currently has only one groundwater source for drinking water that has been approved by the DEQ. A backup well is needed if the main water source is inoperable for an extended period of time.
 The city plans to use the old No. 1 well in Tower Park as the backup water supply, but that source contains naturally occurring arsenic.
 The well can only be used in an emergency for up to 60 days because of the arsenic level.
 The No. 1 well previously was the main source of water for the town until the EPA changed the maximum contaminant level for arsenic and it was no longer used.
 If funding becomes available, the city plans to upgrade the No. 1 well with arsenic treatment. The city secured a grant to study what it would cost to bring the No. 1 well back online.
 The grant paid for the planning and design, but the additional funds from the bond are needed for the actual work of installing treatment.
 Cambridge is applying for a USDA Rural Development Grant and an Idaho Community Development Block Grant to help pay for the water system upgrades.
 If the city is successful in getting the grants, that would reduce the debt the city would take on for the system improvements. It’s unlikely any water system improvements would start before 2020.
 

Category:

Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

Connect with Us