Jasper Unit #1 Referendum Question Loses Tuesday

Jasper school district voters defeated a question Tuesday that if approved would have provided for improvements to a number of District buildings.

The proposal was to continue the District's Bond and Interest levy at the same rate, rather than letting it drop when bonds were to be retired. The funds would have financed work at Jasper County Junior High and Newton Community High School, as well as at the recently-acquired Sunrise Youth and Community Center in Newton. Classes now housed at Ste. Marie Elementary School would have been moved to Newton and housed in new rooms that would have been built at the Sunrise building.

The final vote in Jasper County was 1,040 No to 726 Yes.

Jasper County voters did approve continuing the county's highway tax, which has been on the books for a number of years. The tax funds road improvements in the county. The vote was 1,150 Yes to 615 No. 

The other major election item in Jasper County Tuesday was that Newton Mayor Mark Bolander lost his bid for re-election. Joshua Kuhl defeated Bolander 360 to 282 and will take office as mayor in May.