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Committee Works On Campaign For Renewal |
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Tuesday, 31 March 2009 |
By ANGELA WEAVER
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — A local committee is working to publicize a renewal levy to benefit St. Marys Schools and residents will soon be hearing a lot from it in the coming month.
With the slogan, “Renewing our commitment to building on our tradition,” the Emergency Bond Levy Committee, which meets on Monday nights up to the primary election May 5, held its second meeting to organize ideas to get the word out of for the renewal of the 6.8 mil emergency operating levy.
“I don’t think there’s anything to hide,” Absentee Ballots Chair Mark Huber said. “There’s no new money.”
The levy, which is based on a property tax that is currently being collected, will raise approximately $1.8 million — the same that has been collected in the past. However the millage has changed from 7.9 to 6.8 mils because of the valuation of property, Board of Education member Eric Langsdon said.
“We have to make sure this is not confused with the building project,” Committee Chair Lance Ibrahim said of the levy at the meeting, noting that the costs for the renovations and construction must come from the bond issue passed in 2007 and the money from that issue cannot be used for operations.
The money from the renewal will be used toward utilities, personnel, transportation and supplies.
“It seemed more sensible to say let’s renew what we had, in this economy,” Superintendent Mary Riepenhoff said.
Langsdon said the current economic climate made the decision easy to seek a renewal instead of a replacement.
“With the economy as it was, we said there was no way we were going to ask the community for money,” Langsdon added. “We wanted to do the exact same thing as we did the last time so we didn’t have to increase people’s taxes.”
Langsdon also said that the term “emergency” is just ballot language and the levy itself is not an emergency at this time, but it would be in the future if the renewal was not passed.
“If not, next year this time it will be an emergency,” he said.
Ibrahim said the committee did not want to use threats during its campaign.
“We want to keep the campaign positive,” he said. “We don’t want to make this a threat.”
Media/Publicity Chair Steve Ginter said that was something he wanted to note in the committee’s handouts.
“I will not threaten anybody with what’s going to go away if we don’t do this,” he said.
Riepenhoff also noted that the district has taken a spending freeze, established a building budget and the administrators have taken a pay freeze for the 2009-2010 year.
Also, she said that if the renewal would fail, residents would see it again on the November ballot.
The committee also said it would hand out stickers, papers and set up signs.
Its first handout session will be this Saturday following the Bunny Trail, and it will also have handouts available on hand at the Italian Night on Saturday evening. They will also be holding a “Walking Day” on May 2, before the May 5 Election Day.
When the emergency levy was on the ballot in 2004, approximately 2,500 residents voted for it and approximately 1,500 voted against the levy.
The Emergency Bond Levy Committee’s next scheduled meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the McBroom Junior High Library, and the public is welcome to attend.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 April 2009 )
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