The Plymouth Community School Corporation referendum will be on the May Primary ballot according to the Marshall County Election Board.
Tuesday morning, County Clerk, Deb VanDeMark told election board members the Department of Local Government Finance had made a final determination on the proposed question. The Plymouth School Corporation proposes to place an operating referendum on the ballot for the purpose of establishing a referendum tax levy with a tax rate not to exceed $.19 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Under Indiana law, voters in the area served by the school corporation will vote on the proposed tax rate.
The election board discussed their responsibility in notifying the qualifying voters of the referendum since the May Primary is a municipal election. That means those registered voters in the City of Plymouth will vote for either the democratic or republican candidates that will be on the General Election ballot in November along with the school referendum.
There are 5,385 municipal voters in the City of Plymouth and there are 11,957 eligible voters in the Plymouth School Corp. These additional voters in Center 5, 6, 7 and 8 and in West 1, 2 and 3 will also get the chance to go to the polls in May but the only vote they will consider is the school referendum.
Because of the additional voters and the wider area, the Election Board decided to open a vote center in West Township at the Pretty Lake Church along with one at the Knights of Columbus and the Armory.
Indiana law governs the format and wording of the ballot question for the referendum. The following is how it will read on the May ballot.
For the 8 calendar years immediately following the holding of the referendum, shall the Plymouth Community School Corporation impose a property tax rate that does not exceed $.19 cents on each $100 of assessed valuation and that is in addition to all other property taxes imposed by the school corporation for the purpose of funding student safety initiatives, mental health support and programs, and attracting and retaining teachers.
County Council President, Judy Stone asked the election board who would pay for the additional costs to conduct the vote on the referendum.
VanDeMark said the cost would be allocated by the percentage of voters. She continued saying this is considered a special election along with the municipal election so the school corporation will also share in the cost of the election.
