Saving taxpayer dollars and bringing more aware voters to the polls to elect school board members. It’s a win-win! The full report and take from Speed Gibson:
At Monday’s School Board meeting, by a vote of 5-1 with one abstention, District 281 will move to even year election cycles. This will be done by extending the current terms by 1 year. There will therefore be no Board elections in 2011 and it will be even years after that. It is legal per a MInnesota 1994 statue:
CHAPTER 646-S.F.No. 1512 An act relating to elections; providing uniform local election procedures; requiring regular city elections to be held in the fall; permitting certain town elections to be held in November; making uniform certain local government procedures; changing school district election requirements; …
Sec. 26. [TRANSITION SCHEDULE FOR EVEN-YEAR ELECTIONS.]
Subdivision 1. [APPLICATION.] The transition schedule in this section applies to political subdivisions that choose, before January 1, 1995, to conduct their primary and general elections in the even-numbered years. A political subdivision that later determines to change from an odd-numbered year election to an even-numbered year election may do so by adoption of a new resolution or ordinance that contains an orderly plan for the transition.
And it seems practical as the resolution details. I like the idea of odd year elections isolating local elections but judging by turnout, not many agree with me. So be it, there being no perfect way to do it. At least they followed the law, unlike Mike Opat.
Despite having one more year with Sherry Tyrrell and Barb VanHeel, this gives new candidates more time to prepare to defeat them in 2012. Mark Bomchill was an early supporter of this change, and we thank him.
281 Exposed 
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