School bond, city lodging tax extension among local ballot issues
A $2.2 million school bond election, as well as a lodging tax extension in the city of Holyoke are among the local ballot issues that voters will be addressing in the Nov. 3 election.
Holyoke School District’s 5A ballot initiative involves a 10-year bond that will provide matching funds for the $2.5 million Building Excellent Schools Today grant that the district has been approved for.
This $4.7 million project will focus on secure entry, student safety and access improvements to address existing deficiencies in the JR/SR high, if the ballot initiative passes.
Ballot question 2A for the city of Holyoke addresses the extension of a 2.5% public lodging accommodation tax that was originally passed in 2016. Funds from the tax are targeted for recreation in the city.
The initial five-year lodging tax won’t expire until December of 2021. If 2A passes, the tax will be extended another five years to December of 2026.
In one of the largest candidate counts in a number of years, voters in the city have three choices for the open mayor seat and six candidate options for the three open council seats. Candidates were introduced in the Oct. 1 edition of the Enterprise.
Mayoral candidates include incumbent Orville Tonsing and challengers Jes-c French and Roger Hogan.
Council candidates are incumbents John Schneider and Kevin Scott and challengers Cathy Edge, Jimmy French, Hannah Goodman and Ashley Sullivan.
Frenchman GMD seeks de-Brucing approval
Frenchman Groundwater Management District residents will be voting on a de-Brucing issue on ballot issue 7A.
This is not an increase in taxes but simply a vote to allow the GMD to keep moneys already gathered by the county and any grant moneys the district may be awarded.
Roberts, Timm only county candidates
Only two Phillips County offices are up for election this year — the commissioner posts in districts two and three.
With current commissioners Harlan Stern and Don Lock not seeking re-election, Republicans Garold Roberts and Tom Timm, as the only candidates on the ballot, will automatically earn the district two and three posts, respectively.
11 statewide measures on ballot
Four amendments and seven propositions will be on the ballots for all Coloradans. Explanations concerning those 11 ballot initiatives may be found elsewhere in this edition of the Enterprise.
Six judicial retention questions on ballot
Voters in Phillips County will have the opportunity to mark the ballot for six judicial retention questions.
That includes two Colorado Supreme Court justices, two Colorado Court of Appeals judges, one 13th Judicial District court judge and one Phillips County court judge.
No contested state races
Republican Rod Pelton is the only candidate for State House District 65, and Republican Travis Sides is the only candidate for district attorney from the 13th Judicial District in this year’s state office races for Phillips County voters.
Federal office races key
In this presidential election year, races for federal offices are key.
For U.S. senator, incumbent Republican Cory Gardner is being challenged by John Hickenlooper, Democratic; Daniel Doyle, Approval Voting; Stephan Evans, Unity; and Raymon Anthony Doane, Libertarian.
In the 4th Congressional District, candidates include incumbent Republican Ken Buck; Ike McCorkle, Democratic; Bruce Griffith, Libertarian; and Laura Ireland, Unity.
A total of 21 president/vice president candidate duos are on the 2020 ballot.
They include incumbent Republicans Donald Trump/Michael Pence; as well as Joseph Biden/Kamala Harris, Democratic; Don Blankenship/William Mohr, American Constitution; Bill Hammons/Eric Bodenstab, Unity; Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker, Green; Blake Huber/Frank Atwood, Approval Voting; Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy Cohen, Libertarian.
Brian Carroll/Amar Patel, American Solidarity; Mark Charles/Adrian Wallace, Unaffiliated; Phil Collins/Billy Jo Parker, Prohibition; Roque De La Fuenta/Darcy Richardson, Alliance; Darlo Hunter/Dawn Neptune Adams, Progressive; Princess Khadljah Maryam Jacob-Fambro/Khadljah Maryam Jacob Sr., Unaffiliated; Alyson Kennedy/Malcolm Jareet, Socialist Workers.
Joseph Kishore/Norissa Santa Cruz, Sociality Equality; Kyle Kenley Kopitka/Nathan ReVo Sorenson, Independent American; Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman, Socialism and Liberation; Joe McHugh/Elizabeth Storm, Unaffiliated; Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard, Unaffiliated; Jordan Scott/Jennifer Tepool, Unaffiliated; Kanye West/Michelle Tidball, Unaffiliated.