This site includes information about the Nov. 3, 2009 referendum levy renewal election, including presentations on the levy, fliers, news stories and more.
In fall 2009, the Anoka-Hennepin School Board asked voters to renew a referendum levy that was expiring. The levy was originally approved in 1999 to help cover the district's operating costs.
As of fall 2009, that levy has generated approximately $6 million a year. The board asked voters to replace it with an eight-year levy with a small increase to compensate for inflation over the last 10 years. "The idea is to regain the purchasing power of the original levy," said School Board Chair Tom Heidemann.
At the time, it was noted that if the new levy was approved, it would generate $165.62 per student - $33 more per student than the original 1999 levy - or approximately $8 million total per year. In addition, it would be adjusted for inflation each year.
Two referendum levies were in place in fall 2009: the levy that expired in 2009 and a larger levy originally approved in 2002 and renewed by voters in 2007.
"The $8 million levy renewal is critically important to maintain current class size, to preserve programs and to continue to provide educational services for students and families," said Superintendent Dennis Carlson.
District officials noted in 2009 that the tax impact of the levy was relatively small. The cost to the owner of a home valued at $200,000, which was the current average in the district at the time, would increase by just over $2 per month.
