A special election will be held Tuesday in Cass County for patrons of the Atlantic Community School District. Voters will determine the fate of two public measures related to the renewal of the 10-year Physical Plant and Equipment levy (PPEL) and, a State Income Surtax, which is designed to replace the tax on property in the district, which in-turn, will reduce the property tax rate – according to District officials. A simple majority of the vote is needed in order for the measure to pass.

The Atlantic Community School District consists of Cass, Audubon and Pottawattamie counties. The polls will open at Noon and close at 8-p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 13th). The election is “AT LARGE,” meaning that all residents of the entire school district may vote for the public measure.

Only two voting centers will be used during the election:

• Voting Center 1: Persons living in Wards 1, 4 and 5 of the City of Atlantic, will vote at HERITAGE HOUSE, 1200 Brook Ridge Circle in Atlantic.
• Voting Center 2: Persons living in the remainder of the Atlantic Community School District, being those voters residing in Audubon and Pottawattamie counties; Bear Grove, Benton, Brighton, Cass, Franklin, Grove, Pymosa and Washington townships of Cass County; the City of Marne; the City of Wiota; and Wards 2 and 3 of the City of Atlantic, will vote at the ATLANTIC PUBLIC LIBRARY (507 Poplar), Atlantic.

If you have further questions on where to vote, call the Cass County Election Commissioner (County Auditor) at 243-4570.

The following will appear on your ballot during the Special Election:

PUBLIC MEASURE B: ” Shall the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Community School District in the Counties of Cass, Pottawattamie, and Audubon, State of Iowa, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy and impose a voter approved physical plant and equipment tax not to exceed eighty-five cents (85¢) per one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district, and be authorized annually, in combination, as determined by the board, to levy a physical plant and equipment property tax upon all the taxable property within the school district commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017, and to impose a physical plant and equipment income surtax upon the state individual income tax of each individual income taxpayer resident in the school district on December 31 for each calendar year commencing with the 2017 calendar year, or each year thereafter, (the percent of income surtax not to exceed twenty percent (20%) to be determined by the board each year), to be used for the purposes permitted by Iowa law, it being understood that if this proposition should fail to be approved by the voters, such failure shall not be construed to terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to levy a special tax for any one or more of the purposes permitted by Iowa law?”