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How Much Will Special Election Cost?

The City of Kimball has decided to move forward with a special election for the City of Kimball Economic Development Sale and Use Tax and an additional one-half percent sales tax increase.

A reader posed the question: “How much is the special election going to cost?”

Only voters from Wards 1 and 2 will be allowed to participate in the special election, and Kimball County Clerk Cathy Sibal is, as always, in charge of overseeing this local election.

According to Sibal, the last city special election was in 2007, and the final bill was $3,094. Sibal estimates that this election will be closer to $8,000, but she can only estimate now.

She said, “We have to order new media sticks, order ballots, pay poll workers for serving and training, pay country board and canvass workers, publishing costs, supplies if needed, and polling place rent.”

Again, Sibal cautioned that it is challenging to estimate the cost.

During the discussion at a recent Kimball City Council meeting on the sale tax increase, Councilman Gabe Ingram asked how much revenue would be received from an increase in the sale tax. No information on revenue was available at that time.