Unofficial results show that Bettendorf voters have rejected the school district’s proposed $69.25 million in general obligation bonds for facility upgrades at the middle and high schools.
If it would have passed, the bond referendum would have added up to $2.70 to district homeowners’ property tax rates per $1,000 net taxable value.
The district needed a super-majority vote of 60% plus one to pass the bond referendum. Unofficial results showed just over 41% voting “Yes” and nearly 59% voting “No.”
Around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Scott County Auditor was reporting 2,779 total votes cast, representing a voter turnout of just over 15%.
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With the referendum, most district households would have paid about $350 more annually, as U.S. Census Bureau data (2017-2021) shows an average value of $244,300 for owner-occupied housing units in Bettendorf. This also would have boosted the district’s current $12.38 tax levy rate to $15.09 for fiscal year 2023.
The bonds aimed to help fund a phased modernization project to the middle school and several high school facility upgrades, aligning with Bettendorf’s 10-year facility master plan. The district planned to use future SAVE (1-cent sales tax) revenue and Physical Plant & Equipment Levy reserves for 20.7% of the middle and high school project costs, which was projected to total roughly $83.4 million.
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Bettendorf’s two vote centers closed at 8:00 p.m. Unofficial results were posted at 9:28 p.m.
More coverage on the Bettendorf bond referendum and other local schools’ special elections will come as information is confirmed.
