Voters register opposing views on tax increases

"Ecstatic."

That's how Deb Pauly felt Tuesday night, but it wasn't just because she had won another term on the Jordan school board. Instead, Pauly and others were in a mood to celebrate after voters agreed to fund education by raising local taxes.

The outcome was hardly a foregone conclusion: Jordan voters had rejected three such requests in the past five years, and the school district was one of only about 10 percent in the state without a major supplemental operating levy. On Tuesday, though, voters passed both of the school board's 10-year levy requests despite the dour economy.

Jordan was approving a tax increase even as voters in nearby Prior Lake were electing candidates opposed to tax increases. Two of the three candidates supported by the stop-runaway-spending group known as Citizens for Accountable Government were elected to the City Council, including mayoral candidate Mike Myser.

"The race for mayor was about fiscal responsibility and accountability," said former Mayor Wes Mader, an activist with that group. "The current administration went all out to sell their candidate and their version of the facts, but the voters didn't buy it."

But Mayor Jack Haugen, who opted not to run, said the results don't represent a repudiation of his eight years in office.

Mayoral candidates Steve Millar and Troy Presler, who "shared a commitment to the future," in Haugen's words, drew "55 or 56 percent of the votes," he said. "And this was an off-year election, with very low turnout -- 17 percent. So the number who really supported [Myser's] ideology was 7 percent of our public. But that's how it works in an off-year election.

Myser said he believed voters responded to a three-pronged pitch: that spending under Haugen's reign had been excessive, including what he called "luxurious" elements in new facilities such as City Hall; that a more aggressive attempt to bring in big businesses would help lighten the tax burden on homeowners, and that the city needs to be more open about what's going on.

"A lot of people wanted to see some change," he said.

In Shakopee city races, there was also a mixed outcome. Challenger Pamela Punt, who had criticized what she called overspending on a downtown park at the expense of neighborhood parks, ousted incumbent Terry Joos. But incumbent Steve Clay got far more votes than either of them. Mayor John Schmitt was returned to office, but his three challengers drew more votes than he did.

Shakopee voters also approved a school funding request, with 72 percent supporting the eight-year renewal of an operating levy that raises about $4.3 million a year.

Growing class sizes

"I am very, very grateful that both questions passed," said Pauly, adding that she believes growing class sizes in Jordan helped convince residents that it was time to raise property taxes. The district plans to spend the roughly $310,000 a year raised by the second question to reduce class sizes by hiring teachers.

School board member Dan Buresh, who was also reelected Tuesday, said the committee of residents pushing for levy approval did "a bang-up job" spreading the word about the referendum. "A lot of times people will say, 'I didn't know, I didn't know,' and we weren't getting that this time."

In addition to reelecting all three incumbents on the school board ballot, Jordan voters gave a fourth seat to Sandy Burke, cochairwoman of the "vote yes" levy committee.

School board races elsewhere in the south metro area yielded a few upsets. In Belle Plaine, incumbent Jennifer Johnson was bested by Gary Steinhagen, who won 56 percent of the vote. In New Prague, board member Marty Beckius trailed challenger Trista Robischon by just 10 votes. And in Shakopee, voters elected Carla Shutrop and Anthony Bonsante while denying incumbent Reggie Bowerman a seat on the board.

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016