Politics & Government
You Can Vote Early on the ICCSD School Bond Issue: Yes or No
I'm voting no on the $191.5 school bond. You can vote however you want. If you're leaving town election day, Sept 12th, vote early!
In-person early voting for the September 12 school election will begin Monday, August 21 at 7:45 a.m. at the Auditor’s Office, 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City.
Voting will be available during normal weekday business hours, 7:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Monday, September 11. (The office will be closed Monday, September 4 for Labor Day.)
The Auditor’s Office will also have weekend voting hours the Saturday and Sunday before the election: Saturday, September 9, 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon Sunday, September 10, 12:00 noon-5:00 p.m.
The following satellite voting sites will be available:
Kirkwood Community College, 1816 Lower Muscatine Rd., Iowa City Tuesday, August 29, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, 200 Hawkins Dr. (Fountain Entrance), Iowa City, Thursday, September 7, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City Thursday, September 7 and Friday, September 8, 12 noon-6:00 p.m.
North Liberty Community Library, 520 W. Cherry St., North Liberty, Saturday, September 9, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Coralville Public Library 1401 5th St., Coralville Saturday, September 9, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 12:00 noon-3:30 p.m.
School board candidates will be on the ballot as well. The only school board candidate to clearly state that she is a vote no candidate on the $191.5 million school bond, the largest in state history, is Laura Westemeyer. I am voting for her and her only. Laura is informed, honest, and open. What you see is what you get. Everyone else on the ballot is a vote yes candidate.
Since school board director LaTasha DeLoach resigned effective July 14, 2017 for medical reasons, we no longer have a rubber-stamp majority on the school board for Supt. Steve Murley, who is in violation of federal law with regard to special education, who suppresses free speech by parents dissatisfied with the treatment of their special needs children, and suppresses those who simply want more information about what's going on. But if you vote for Ruthina Malone, Janet Godwin, or Shawn Eyestone, you'll put back in place the rubber-stamp majority Supt. Murley had before. If you like the lack of transparency and accountability that Supt. Murley enjoys now, vote yes. If you don't like what's going on now, vote no.
A more specific, smaller bond could be voted on later. We don't have transparency and guaranteed priorities set now.