Referendum Defeated
The referendum on whether or not the Town should pursue bonds for up to $7 million for the purchase of a Town Hall was soundly defeated on Tuesday, with 40% of the registered voters on the island turning out to oppose it. According to the Lee Supervisor of Elections, the final tally – with 2,005 of the Town's 4,970 registered voters participating – was: 86.33 % or 1,731 against, and only 274, or 13.67% for the referendum. The only other election that saw close to a 40% turnout was the 2007 council election, where 39% of island voters voted in Larry Kiker over Garr Reynolds and Herb Acken over Pat Smith. That election, incidentally, also included the referendum to finance the Town's water utility - which passed by a 91.17% margin but included no price amount in the referendum language. "I was glad to see the amount of people who turned out to vote,” said Mayor Larry Kiker. "We asked the question of what the residents wanted us to do with their tax money and it got answered. The council got a clear direction from folks that we need to concentrate on some areas to put the Town in position with the current lease as best we can. Hopefully we can look at something at a minimum of asking for the first right of refusal should the owners decide to sell.”
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