by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Sumner County Commissioners took no action on a request by Cowley County Community College to vote on a sales tax referendum through a mail-in ballot sometime in early 2017. Instead, the question will go on the ballot this November.

The ballot question will ask whether or not Sumner County voters will pay a half-cent sales tax to help construct a Cowley College-Wellington Campus. The campus hopes to be open by early 2018 (see story here).

“Our position has been the same from the start,” said Steve Warner, Sumner County Commissioner. “We want to have the input of the largest representation of Sumner County.”

Sumner County voters will have two sales tax questions on the ballot. The first will include the renewal of the half-cent sales tax for rural healthcare services, the Sumner Mental Health Center and the Sumner County Health Department.

The second will be the Cowley College proposal.

Sumner County Economic Development Director Stacy Davis said the hope of Cowley College officials was to separate the Cowley question from the rural health care question so that both proposals have a good chance of passing.

Cowley College President Dennis Rittle said in a community forum held yesterday at the Wellington High School auditorium, that he didn’t like the idea of putting it on the November ballot because of the various races and the emotion surrounding the general election. Cowley College was to pay for the mail-in ballot expenses in which the question would be sent to individual voters home.

Warner said his biggest worry with mail in ballots is that it does not accurately reflect the large number of voters out there.

“Traditionally, mail in ballots have a 8 to 12 percent return rate,” Warner said. “I’m not comfortable with that kind of return. Yes, you can argue that is the fault of the electorate. I just believe putting it on the ballot is a more fair way of doing it.”

All three commissioners said they are not taking a public position on the question.

“I’ll decide when I get in the election booth, but I don’t think I want to share my view with the public,” said Jim Newell, Sumner County Commissioner. Newell, himself, will be on the November ballot unopposed, barring a write-in candidate.

Sumner County Clerk Debra Norris said the ballot question will be ready for review during the first of September. The commissioners want Cowley College officials to review the ballot in a nonpartisan way.

Davis said she understands the commissioners position and will fight to pass both sales tax proposals.

“From the data we have collected, we feel strongly that the Sumner County voters will pass a referendum to build a wonderful Cowley College facility,” she said.

The general election is slated for November 8.

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