Election Day Questions: Strain Levy Increase; St. Cloud Elections, Leasburg Tax

Questions will be put before the voters of the Strain-Japan R-XVI School District, village of St. Cloud and village of Leasburg in the April 4 election.

Strain-Japan is asking voters to increase the operating tax levy ceiling 50 cents, raising it to $4.2451 per $100 of assessed valuation.

The levy funds the operations, maintenance and staffing of the district.

The Strain-Japan school board voted in December to increase the levy.

The district said the increased levy will help pay for the lawsuit filed in March 2021 by Larry Blankenship. It has resulted in approximately $500,000 in attorney fees.

The lawsuit also will continue to provide preschool and offer competitive salaries.

Blankenship’s lawyers challenged that the district “erroneously determined the highest rate of tax it could levy without additional voter approval in each of those years.”

Strain-Japan also has four people running for three spots on the board.

Incumbents Caren Vogt, Chastity Moss and Gregory John Stotler have filed, along with Donald Lee Mattingly III.

St. Cloud

The village of St. Cloud, like the city of Bourbon, is seeking a change to elections.

St. Cloud is asking voters to approve foregoing elections if the number of candidates who have filed for a particular office is equal to the number of positions to be filled.

St. Cloud has three people who have filed for two seats on its board of trustees.

David Barclay, Joanne Barclay and Susan Bosse have filed.

Leasburg

The village of Leasburg is asking voters to impose a 1 percent sales tax.

Jared West is the only candidate running for one of two open seats on the village’s board of trustees.