On a day when thunderstorms and flooding affected the region, voters in Reno County Drainage District No. 3 emphatically said yes to a potentially higher mill levy to fund operations, infrastructure, and maintenance of a levee system.
The unofficial tally from Tuesday’s special election in Haven showed 24 voted yes for greater taxing authority. Not a single voter checked no. State statute limits a drainage district’s general fund levy to five mills. For years, however, Drainage District No. 3 has well exceeded that cap, with the board unaware it needed voter authorization. It was only when district officials began asking how much higher the levy – already topping 12 mills – could be raised that the oversight was spotted.
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)