G-R voters approve PPEL renewal

A renewal measure on the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) passed during a special school election last Tuesday.

The unofficial vote tallies, pending a complete auditor canvassing between Grundy and Tama counties, were 208 in favor of continuing the PPEL and 143 against.

The vote was heavily split between Reinbeck residents and Gladbrook residents - Reinbeck approved the PPEL renewal by a 155-4 margin, while Gladbrook voters cast 108 “No” votes compared to just 14 “Yes” votes. There were 36 "yes" votes cast at Lincoln, compared to 24 "no" votes; and 3 "yes" votes compared to 7 "no" votes received by absentee.

The current PPEL rate is set at 67 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That rate was set to expire on June 30, 2024, but will now continue through 2034 following the vote.

The PPEL rate and the vote to extend it are not related to recent discussions about improvements to Gladbrook-Reinbeck facilities, including a survey the district recently conducted to receive feedback on needs for the district.