By VICKI URBANIK

Though next year is an “off” election year, county officials are still bracing for several elections in 2009 due to a new state law that allows referendums on capital projects, such as for new schools.

“There’s a possibility of three separate elections,” Porter County Clerk Pamela Fish told the Porter County Council during budget hearings this week.

The referendums are a concern for the county council because of the costs. Fish said even if a referendum deals with a new school, the county government must foot the bill, under the state’s new law, H.E.A. 1001.

Accordingly, Fish and Voter Registration officials Kathy Kozuszek and Sundae Kubacki this week presented an Election Board budget of $527,650, which is identical as this year’s. But that budget amount didn’t fly with the council, which noted that this year is a big presidential election. The council cut the budget to just $77,000.

Council President Robert Poparad, D-1st, said if additional funds are needed next year for any referendums, the council could approve an additional appropriation. But at this time, he said he can’t justify approving a budget based only on speculation that referendums will be held.

Fish mentioned two referendums for school projects in Union and Portage townships, as well as a possible countywide referendum regarding the South Shore extension. Of those three, only the Union Township school referendum so far is definite.

Another possible referendum could be for the Duneland Schools, which is considering building a new elementary school on land already purchased in Jackson Township. The new law allows referendums on large-scale school projects if enough taxpayers file a petition.

“I would anticipate that anything we do would require a referendum,” said Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer, adding that it’s possible the Duneland referendum could be next year.

According to election officials, there is nothing in the new law to require that multiple referendums are held on the same day. Once a school system turns in the required paperwork for a referendum, the county has 120 days to hold the election, Kozuszek said.

The funding impacts clearly irked a few council members.

Poparad said it’s not fair for taxpayers in one part of the county to have to foot the bill for a school project proposed in another part of the county.

Kozuszek agreed, saying that she thinks the costs for school referendums should be paid for by the schools, since only the voters in those school districts would vote in the referendum.

The new law on referendums for schools and other capital projects differs from the law on municipal elections. Cities and towns help pay the costs when their mayors, councils and clerk treasurers are up for election.

The cost of a referendum would depend largely on the number of precincts involved and whether election officials could consolidate precincts.

As for a countywide referendum, such as for the South Shore extension, Fish estimated that the cost would be around or in excess of $250,000.

Council member Dan Whitten, D-at large, noted that the county commissioners originally wanted the South Shore referendum to be on the ballot for this November’s general election, not as a stand-alone vote. He said unless the South Shore question is rolled into another referendum, he highly doubts the commissioners would pursue the issue if the costs would be that high.

The Election Board, by a 2-1 vote, earlier refused to grant the commissioners’ request to place the South Shore referendum on the November ballot, on the grounds that state law does not specifically allow such a referendum and that it would likely be challenged. Indiana legislators may take up the South Shore issue again next session; one option discussed by county officials is to ask lawmakers to allow a referendum on the issue.

The council also approved a Voter Registration budget of $171,717, a $2,153 increase over this year’s. Kozuszek said the office will be extremely busy next year working on new precincts. She said 21 precincts in Porter County are now at their maximum voter limit and may need to be split up.

Posted 8/22/2008