School bond ballot going out this week

This week, registered voters in the Tucumcari School District will receive in the mail a ballot for a proposed $3 million bond issue by the district to redevelop its baseball and softball diamonds.

County Clerk Ellen White said the ballots should arrive in voters’ mailboxes by Thursday or Friday. The ballots must be mailed back a few days before the Feb. 18 election, or voters can bring them in person to the clerk’s office at 300 S. Third St. in Tucumcari before 7 p.m. that day.

Under the plan, three ball diamonds owned by the city would be deeded to the district, including one used for high-school girls softball games. Little League fields would remain city property.

The district would build new baseball and softball fields, parking and a building that would host a commercial kitchen and restrooms on the site.

Tucumcari schools superintendent Aaron McKinney said “time has taken its toll” on the ball diamonds there.

“Those fields have been there for years, and they’ve got bad plumbing, bad structures,” he said. “They’re even getting to the point where some areas may be not too safe. There needs to be something done and something built up out there.”

City manager Britt Lusk also has said the revamped diamonds would meet New Mexico School Activities Association requirements to host regional high-school tournaments. The diamonds also could be used for community sports.

The general-obligation bond question states the money could be used “for the purpose of erecting, remodeling, making additions to and furnishing school buildings, purchasing computer software and hardware for student use in public schools, providing matching funds for capital outlay projects.”

McKinney said the language on the ballot includes other items if money is left over from the project. However, he said its cost “is in the ballpark” where it would use up almost all of the $3 million.

McKinney said the passage of the bond issue would lead to no increase in property taxes.

He expressed optimism it would be approved by voters.

“I think the community knows that it’s needed, and they know we’re doing this for the community,” he said. “Whoever goes out there to watch the games, they know improvements are needed.”

The school district also printed from 1,500 to 2,000 pamphlets that contain information about the proposed bond issue. McKinney said they were distributed to students, Mesalands Community College mailboxes and Tucumcari businesses. The pamphlets were printed in-house, he said.

White said a total of 4,352 registered voters would receive the ballots by mail. About 700 ballots during the county’s first-ever mail-in election last year were declared undeliverable, but she said she anticipates a lower number this time.

White said the special mail-in election will cost the school district at least $10,000. The district missed a deadline to file paperwork for the November election. McKinney blamed that on a communication problem with its bonding company.