Election 2021: What’s On The Ballot In St. Michael

ST. MICHAEL, MN — After more than six weeks of voting, the 2021 municipal election will come to an end when polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Voters in St. Michael will help decide the fate of a proposed levy increase for St. Michael Albertville schools.

Voters in the St. Michael-Albertville School District are tasked with deciding whether to authorize a $7.9 million annual levy for the next decade to help the district stave off a "perfect financial storm" caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The levy would generate about $6.9 million each year from taxpayers, which would allow the district to receive an additional $1 million in state funding, officials have said.

The district said it lost $7 million in unrealized revenues and extra costs caused by the pandemic, and "future budget projections are bleak" without voters' support.

St. Michael-Albertville ranks the lowest in the state for the funding it receives per student, according to the district.

The proposed levy would increase property taxes on a $250,000 home by about $59 per month, or $708 per year, according to the district's fact sheet.

Here is the question as it will appear on voters' ballots:

"The board of Independent School District No. 885 (St. Michael-Albertville) has proposed to increase its general education revenue by $1,195 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would increase each year by the rate of inflation and be applicable for ten years beginning with taxes payable in 2022, unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.
Shall the increase in the revenue proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 885 be approved?"

Residents can find more information about the proposed levy here.

How To Vote

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West. Minnesota has same-day voter registration, which means you can register to vote at your polling place on Election Day.

Mail-in ballots will not count if they are received after Election Day.