By Chad Koenen

Publisher

lection night was a tough one for school districts across the state who sought voter support for operating and building referendums in Minnesota. New York Mills School District was no different as a three-part question did not receive support of voters across the NY Mills School District on November 3.  ¶  The building levy would have been the first voter-approved building levy in 26 years, but the failed levy vote with an overall project in excess of $30.5 million will send the school district and school board members back to the drawing board.  ¶  The first question failed by a margin of 1,011 votes (54.33 percent) to 850 votes (45.67 percent).The first question sought $22,160,000 included: construction and equipping of a band and choir suite; construction and renovation to physical education space, fitness room and wrestling rooms; renovation and construction of career and technical education (CTE) spaces; construction and equipping of new classrooms; repurposing and remodeling of existing classrooms and spaces for educational needs; renovations and updates to the administrative office areas, including construction of secure entrances; renovation and equipping of the existing kitchen, concession stand, and restrooms; and addressing deferred capital maintenance including, but not limited to, flooring, main gym sound system, building envelope, water drainage and parking lot improvements. 

The second question cost $2.6 million and included updating the high school media center, changing the space into a commons area for students. The question failed by a 1,125 vote  (60.75 percent) to a 727 votes (39.25 percent) margin. 

A third question that sought an additional $2.6 million to construct a new track and football field by the high school, was overwhelmingly defeated by school district voters by a 1,318 vote (71.44 percent) to a 527 votes (28.56 percent) margin. 

In addition to the building levy, Derek Geiser, AmyAnn Mursu and Cody Barthel were elected to the NY Mills School Board. Geiser was the top vote getter with 1,359 votes (35.39 percent), Mursu was second with 1,232 votes (32.08 percent) and Barthel was third with 1,199 votes (31.22 percent). 

Latham Hetland was elected to a second term as mayor of NY Mills after he ran unopposed for the position. Hetland received 476 votes (98.35 percent). 

Sommer Dow and Richard Grotheer were both elected to the NY Mills City Council. Dow received 353 votes (49.86 percent), while Grotheer was re-elected to the city council with 346 votes (48.87 percent). 

In the City of Ottertail, Mayor Ron Grobeck won an uncontested race for mayor after he received 353 votes (95.41 percent) for another two-year term. 

Jerry Martin and Elizabeth Augustus were both re-elected to seats on the city council with Martin receiving 212 votes (35.69 percent) and Augustus receiving 209 votes (35.19 percent). William Layman received 169 votes (28.45 percent to finish in third place. 

In a special election for a two-year term on the Ottertail City Council, Candace Rastedt was the top vote getter with 210 votes (57.69 percent), while Seth Dokken finished in second with 152 votes (41.76 percent). 

In the City of Deer Creek, long-time city councilman Jayme George was elected mayor with 104 votes, or 86.67 percent of the vote. In a contested race for city council, former mayor Carol Melcher received 77 votes (38.89 percent) to finish in first place. Ricky Mitchell was also elected to the city council after he received 54 votes (27.27 percent), while Roderick Woodward finished in third place with 43 votes (21.72 percent).

In the City of Bluffton, Tim Pavek was re-elected as mayor with 87 votes (96.67 percent). Mary Lou Carlson and Tony Kassa were elected to the city council after Carlson received 79 votes (53.38 percent) and Kassa received 66 votes (44.59 percent). 

Other election 

results include

• Reed Reinbold received just over 61 percent of the vote to edge Terry Frost in the race for Otter Tail County Sheriff. Reinbold received 16,408 votes, while Frost received 10,413 votes.

• Jim Stewart received 62.68 percent of the vote to edge Stephen Springer in the race for County Commissioner for District 4. Stewart received 3,405 votes compared to Springer receiving 2,008 votes.