Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton
(Photo courtesy of Citizens for Patton)

Early voting begins for March primary election

Early voting for the March 20 primary election is now underway across Metro East, with a one-cent school building sales tax on the ballot in Madison County.

The sales tax for construction of new schools, or the renovation or expansion of existing schools, was placed on the ballot at the request of fifteen Madison County school districts.

Under Illinois law, local school districts can propose a countywide sales tax, if the school boards in districts serving more than 50 percent of county’s student enrollment pass resolutions supporting a sales tax referendum.

All 18 school districts in Madison County considered resolutions for a school building sale tax over recent months, with only the Collinsville Consolidated Unit School District 10 board voting against it (by 4-2 margin).  School boards in Edwardsville School District 7 and Venice Elementary and Consolidated Unit School District 3 opted not to take a formal vote.

Madison County voters rejected a similar school sales tax proposal in 2011.

Also on the ballot, at the Chronicle’s deadline, was Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton, as a Republican primary candidate in Illinois’ 56th State Senate District.

The Illinois Supreme Court, on Feb. 8, ordered the Illinois First District Appellate Court to stay a lower court ruling that had removed Patton from the ballot.

The stay is to remain in place until the appellate court can hear and rule on an appeal filed by Patton of the lower court action.

The appeals process will likely run well beyond March 20, effectively allows Patton to stay on the primary ballot.

A Cook County Circuit Court ordered Patton off the ballot last month after Madison County IBEW Business Manager Charles Yancey filed an objection to his placement on the GOP ballot. The objection alleged Patton was illegible for the GOP ballot because he had signed a nominating petition for a Democratic State House candidate in the March primary, in apparent violation of state election law.

Patton is currently the only name on the GOP ballot in the 56th State Senate District. Rachelle Aud Crowe is the sole name on the Democratic ballot.

However, 34 district residents have filed as write-in candidates for the state senate seat, including Patton’s wife Carrie Patton.

Madison County voters this year can cast early ballots for the March primary, during specified hours and days, at the County Clerk’s Office at the County Courthouse in Edwardsville, the Scott Bibb Center in Alton, the Madison County Administration Building in Edwardsville, the Granite City Township Building,  Bethalto Village Hall, Collinsville Senior Citizen Center, Godfrey Village Hall, Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library in Highland, the Venice Township Hall in Madison, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Morris University Center, Troy City Hall, and the Wood River Township Office. For exact times and dates, call (618) 692-6290 or see the Madison County website’s “Early Voting” page (www.co.madison.il.us/departments/county_clerk/…/early_voting.php).

St. Clair County voters this year can cast early ballots, during specific times and days, at St. Clair County Clerk’s Office In the County Courthouse in Belleville, the Caseyville Township Office in Fairview Heights, and the O’Fallon Township Office, the Centreville Township Building in Alorton, the Cahokia Fitness and Sports Complex in Cahokia, Whiteside Middle School in Belleville, and High Mount School in Swansea. For exact times and days call (618) 825-2377 or see the “Early Voting Information and Changes” link on the St. Clair County website (www.co.st-clair.il.us).

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus.  The Board of Trustees just approved a tuition increase for next year. (Photo courtesy of SIUE)

SIUE announces 4 percent tuition increase

The Southern Illinois University (SIU) Board of Trustees, Feb. 8, approved a tuition increase of four percent or $351 for all new undergraduate students at SIU Edwardsville, effective fall 2018.

With the increase, the annual tuition rate at SIUE will be $9,123 for new, full-time undergraduate students (taking at least 15 hours of courses per semester). Undergraduate students currently in a guaranteed tuition plan will see no increase in their annual tuition rate.

“We have traditionally been the lowest cost public, four-year higher education institution in Illinois, and we remain committed to offering our constituents the best educational experience at the most affordable price,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, Ph.D.

The university will continue to offer in-state tuition to all new and continuing domestic (U.S.) undergraduate and graduate school students.

The board also approved a four percent or $304.80 increase in tuition for graduate students beginning this fall.  That will bring annual tuition for full-time graduate students (taking at least 12 hours per semester) to $7,917.60.

International undergraduate and graduate students will continue to be assessed a 2.5-times surcharge on the applicable in-state tuition rates, unless they qualify for an alternate tuition rate.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–