Ballots in your mailbox
Make sure you return them by March 3
The March 3 Primary ballots have been mailed and you should have received yours by now. If you haven’t received it yet, call the Plumas County Elections Office at 283-6256. If you have, then it’s important to remember that it must be returned by March 3. By now we should all be familiar with the fact that Plumas County is an all-mail ballot. Ballots can be hand delivered to the election’s office on the first floor of the county courthouse in Quincy, dropped in the convenient dropbox located outside the front of the building, or returned by mail.
This is an important election for Plumas County residents where three of the five supervisorial seats are on the ballot: Districts 1, 2 and 4. Also on the ballot are the races for state assembly and senate, as well as the First Congressional District. Voters will also be asked to vote on Proposition 13, an education bond that will provide facility funding for kindergarten through high school buildings, as well as community colleges and universities.
The Plumas Unified School District board of trustees passed a resolution in favor of this proposition as it continues to modernize its campuses. In part, the resolution noted that PUSD has a backlog of “$122 million in facility needs.” These projects depend significantly on state bond funding. Further, the resolution noted the importance of updating facilities to serve 21st century student needs. The proposition includes funding for career technical education facilities, which will provide “job training to meet the workforce needs of California’s employers and help ensure successful futures for our state’s students.”
Lisa Cavin, Plumas Unified School District’s chief financial officer, noted that all previous bond funds have been used or are currently earmarked for long overdue projects.
“Without the passage of the new ballot measure,” she said, “schools will be placed on a waiting list for reimbursement until someday in the future when another bond passes.”
While it seems straight forward, the proposition is causing confusion. It is being confused with the 1970s-era Prop. 13 that became a battle over property tax. This is a bond, not a change to existing property tax laws. For a full explanation, read Linda Satchwell’s article on Proposition 13 contained in the front section of your newspaper.
Finally, the presidential primary is on the ballot. The names that appear on your particular ballot will reflect your party affiliation. The county’s chief election’s official went to great lengths to explain what voters needed to do if they were registered as no party preference since each party has its own rules as to whom is eligible to vote for its candidates.
This is just the first step for Plumas County residents in what will be a long election year leading up to November. Take the time to fill out your ballot and be counted.
