By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Senators, governors, and congressmen. Many of the advertisements on local media pertain to the biggest of races to be decided in the upcoming general election on Nov. 3. But Hoisington voters will also have some big decisions to make. All four wards on the Hoisington City Council have openings, and City Manager Jonathan Mitchell reminds voters of the proposed sales tax to be decided on Nov. 3.
“The city of Hoisington is proposing to add a half-cent sales tax to support infrastructure, primarily for water and wastewater,” he said. “We have a tremendous amount of need. We’ve had some studies done on our system that show we have over $3 million in line repairs that we need to have done. We have, I think, 16 fire hydrants we have identified as not working as they should.”
Additional projects include coatings on water tower, which will cost more than $300,000, and improvements to the booster tower and at the water plant.
“We’re trying to create a dedicated funding source for that,” Mitchell said. “If the sales tax proposition is successful and there was support for it, we think that would generate about $180,000 a year to support our public utilities, specifically water and wastewater.”
Early voting in Kansas may begin as early as Oct. 14. Early voting in the Barton County takes place inside the clerk’s office on the second floor of the Barton County Courthouse, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will also be open for voting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Halloween. Early voting ends at noon on Monday, Nov. 2, and regular polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.