The election season rapidly is coming to an end, with several local decisions to be made by the voters.
Ballots must be turned in by Tuesday, November 2, at 7 p.m.
If one has not already mailed their ballot, it is best to drop it off at many locations throughout the county.
In Yuma, there is a drop-off ballot box at City Hall, 320 S. Main St., available through election day during regular business hours. The Yuma County Motor Vehicle branch office at the Yuma NJC Campus also has a drop-off box on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That office also will be a full-service election location on November 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There is a 24-hour drop box at the Election Center in Wray, 130 E. Third St., which can be used until 7 p.m. November 2. The Yuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in the courthouse also is a drop-off location during regular business hours, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Early Voting began this past Monday at the Election Center located across the street from the Yuma County Courthouse. If you did not receive your ballot, you may visit the Wray Election Center, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Election Day 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Or you may visit the Yuma VSPC on Election Day 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. which is located at the NJC Satellite Campus. By visiting one of the VSPC’s, you may get a replacement ballot or vote in person either electronically or by using the typical paper ballot. Please remember to bring your ID.
Yuma School District-1, the City of Yuma and Town of Eckley are among the entities with something on the ballot.
Yuma-1 has three seats up for election, each carrying a four-year term. There are seven candidates (listed here as they appear on the ballot) — Terri Cooper, Junice Ramirez, Gannon Leifheit, John Deering, Joseph Keith Daugherty, James “Jamie” Unger and Lindsey Galles.
Galles is the only incumbent running for another term, as current board members Dan Ross and Kim Langely have reached their term limits.
The City of Yuma’s Question 2C asks voters to approve a 1.5-percent sales tax increase, taking the city’s sales tax from 3 percent to 4.5 percent, allowing an increase in revenue of $1.5 million in the first full fiscal year (2022) and by whatever amounts are raised annually thereafter.
City leaders have made the case that the cost of General Fund services have increased significantly since the last sales tax increase decades ago, and the extra revenue is needed in order to maintain the current level of services. If not passed, city leaders have said the municipality will have to start looking at budget cuts.
The city currently has two preliminary budgets for 2022 in the works, one if the sales tax increase passes, and one if it does not.
The city also has Question 2B, asking the voters to approve 5-percent excise tax, allowing for increased tax revenue of $1.4 million in the first fiscal year (2022), and by whatever additional amounts are raised in the years following. The excise tax would on the wholesale transfer of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products from or to a retail marijuana business in the city.
It relates to the production of marijuana products — such as the oil processing plant proposed earlier this year, or in the event in the future the city would allow of manufacturing facilities such as cultivation operations.
The question has nothing to do with allowing dispensaries in town.
The only processing facility currently approved is the oil-processing one by Kind Roots, but nothing has come of that project as of yet.
The Town of Eckley has put a tax question on the ballot. It calls for a use tax to be added to the municipality’s 2.1 percent sales tax. Town Clerk Aileene Vance explained the idea is for the town to collect on automobile purchases made by its residents. She said the current sales tax generates about $24,000 annually.
There also are three statewide ballot questions on everyone’s ballot.
