Referendum Still Fails By One Vote In Recount

Officials with the River Ridge School District conducted a ballot recount Wednesday following the February 18^th spring primary election in which a referendum on a $2.3 million bond measure failed by one vote. Although the outcome from the recount was the same as the election, officials determined two absentee ballots from the Village of Bloomington that were recorded as cast were missing. Village Clerk Mary Culligan said the missing ballots were submitted unmarked and thrown away before the election results were released. The ballot measure, which would have refinanced the costs of constructing an athletic complex in Patch Grove, was rejected by one vote, 331-330. Six people observed the proceedings, including clerks from the towns of Beetown and Bloomington and the Village of Bloomington. Had the measure been approved, the district’s mill levy would have increased from $11.22 per $1,000 in valuation to $11.71. District Superintendent Clay Koenig said the district will hold another referendum sometime in the future.