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ANR
How do you plan to vote in 2024?
That question will loom large come November in a presidential election year, though here on the home front local residents will have some significant decisions to make in a May primary which is now less than eight weeks away. In an effort to help voters understand the questions on the ballot and the impact of their votes, the News-Register is planning an in-depth series of articles beginning April 3.
Why so early, some may ask? That’s a good question, to which there is no perfect answer. For starters, voters can mark their ballots early now, stopping by the courthouse as soon as April 15 to let their wishes be known. Our plan is to profile issues and contested race that will be decided in the May 14 primary, thus sooner than later seems like a logical approach.
Secondly, as with any good Q&A sessions, questions may arise during the initial conversation which voters hadn’t thought of, or which simply had not been clearly explained to the public. Running our election preview series April 3-17 will allow time for readers to submit questions via letter to the editor which can then be answered in detail before election day.
Looking ahead, there will be several contested races in the general election Nov. 5, all of which will be the focus of a similar ANR series in October.
First up on the schedule will be a preview of the Aurora City Council’s proposal to ask voters if they like the idea of adding a 1-1/2 percent city sales tax on local transactions. The resolution would also allow the city to increase its budgeted restricted funds by $1 million, which is a 23.57 percent increase over the current year’s restricted funds. Given Aurora’s history with the sales tax issue it’s important that voters understand where this new source of revenue will be generated and how it will be spent, based on this proposal.
Giltner will be the focus of the April 10 preview, with both a $11.4 million school bond issue and a 1 percent sales tax to be explained in detail. These two issues have nothing to do with each other, yet combined they represent significant financial commitments for local taxpayers. May 14 will be a big day in Giltner!
And finally, the April 17 edition will offer profiles on three candidates running for a District 3 seat on the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. Republicans Jessie Merkel, Troy Holloway and Tanner Holloway are throwing their hats in the ring for the first time, which makes this preview series their introduction to the local political arena.
Stay tuned, and plan ahead to make sure you cast an informed vote.
Kurt Johnson
