Tag: Westonka bond referendum 2023

Election deception in Minnetrista

I can imagine the discussion last fall among YesWestonka leadership about how to hide from voters who the largest contributors were to their organization, which supported the recently passed bond referendum last November: “We can’t let the public know the majority of our donations will be coming from unidentified cash donors, the teacher’s union and one other donor. That wouldn’t look good. How can we conceal that from voters without getting in trouble?”

“Easy…don’t report the largest contributions until AFTER the election. That way voters won’t know that the teacher’s union and one other donor were the two largest contributors to YesWestonka. Just wait and report them in December.”

Done. The campaign finance reports for YesWestonka show the two largest contributions to their campaign committee weren’t reported until after the election:

The primary purpose of filing campaign finance reports is to inform voters where contributions come from and identify sources that may be influencing campaign committees. In this case the identities of YesWestonka’s largest donors were hidden from voters.

The campaign committee also took in close to $3,000 from unidentified cash donors. That’s an alarming number given it amounts to approximately a third of their total campaign revenue.

For a referendum that barely squeaked by, it does make one wonder if the election outcome might have been different had voters known who was bankrolling the effort. Unfortunately, it’s not even illegal what they did. But it is deceitful and it’s concerning these deceptive practices aren’t being called out in the news media.

Westonka Bond Con

Why is it, when the MAJORITY of the proposed Westonka Schools’ bond is allocated for a high school remodel, the district’s description has the high school remodel listed as the last of three priorities? It lists safety/security first, misleading voters to think safety is the primary purpose of the bond. The MAJORITY of the bond is for a high school remodel, not safety and not maintenance.

Voters are being intentionally misled to believe the bond is all about safety and security. Who wouldn’t want to keep kids safe, right? See below the “Yes Westonka” (independent political committee promoting the bond) graphic from Facebook yesterday:

Did I mention this is a total of over $170 MILLION DOLLARS ($93.4M plus 5% interest for 25 years) district taxpayers will be paying back? ‘Yes Westonka’ doesn’t tell you that though. The tax calculator the district provides only calculates the first year’s property tax increase on a property, neglecting to mention it will go up, more than doubling by year nine!

Voters think they will be paying back $93.4M but in reality will be paying back over $170M.

Even the approved language that will be on the ballot buries, at the very end, what the majority of the bond is allocated for:

“Shall the school board of Independent School District No. 277 (Westonka
Public Schools) be authorized to issue its general obligation school building
bonds in an amount not to exceed $93,400,000 to provide funds for the
acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the
construction of secure entrances and other safety and security
improvements at all school sites and facilities; districtwide deferred
maintenance projects, including replacement of boilers, piping and
electrical systems; the redesign, renovation and equipping of academic and
activity spaces at the Mound Westonka High School site and facility; and
the reconstruction and repair of athletic fields, tennis courts and track?“

If the school district wants to ask property owners to hand over millions of dollars, there is an obligation to tell voters the primary purpose of the bond and what the total increase in property taxes would be over its 25 years. That transparency, however, would likely jeopardize the election.

These underhanded strategies to intentionally mislead voters would never be tolerated if perpetrated by an individual or private sector corporation but for the Westonka school district it’s business as usual.

The district knows they have to hide the purpose and true cost of this bond referendum from the voters if they want it to pass. VOTE NO! STOP THE CON.

Early voting begins Friday, September 22 in Suite A of the Educational Service Center, 5901 Sunnyfield Rd. E., Minnetrista, MN. Go to the pollfinder to find out where to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7.