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Wednesday, 06 May 2009 |
By ANGELA WEAVER
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Residents in the Roughrider community approved the renewal of an operating levy during the primary election held Tuesday.
The 6.8-mil property tax levy, which originated in 2004, will generate approximately $1.8 million a year for the St. Marys City School District for the next five years. Voters approved the measure by a vote of 974 (55.28 percent) to 788 (44.72 percent).
“We’re very thrilled for the renewal of the levy,” Superintendent Mary Riepenhoff said.
“I would like to thank the community for their continued support. We certainly appreciate the community’s support.”
Riepenhoff said the levy on Tuesday’s ballot will generate the same amount of money as it has in the past years.
“But that doesn’t mean our education can’t get better,” she said.
“We are always looking for ways to be smart with the dollars we have and maintaining the quality of the programs.”
The levy is considered an operating levy — unrelated to the construction of the new grades six-to-12 building — and covers anything in the district’s general fund.
“Anything — salaries, utilities, paper, desks, transportation — for the general operation of the school,” Riepenhoff said of how the money generated from the levy is used.
Riepenhoff also said she wanted to thank the St. Marys Levy Committee that met Monday nights until Election Day.
“I have special thanks for the levy committee, especially Chairs Lance Ibrahim and Bob Fitzgerald and all the committees,” she said.
The levy committee also did endorsements, sending letters to the local newspapers, making calls and sending e-mails to friends and family, Riepenhoff said, adding that they also put up the signs around town.
“We had a walking campaign on Saturday where we hung doorhangers at voters’ homes,” she said.
“We also went around to different service groups and organizations and presented facts and answered questions.”
Riepenhoff said the committee was comprised of residents, school board members and administrators, like herself.
“It was a good team effort and good results,” she said.
Riepenhoff said she was not sure how Gov. Strickland’s proposed budget plan would be affecting St. Marys City Schools, but from the looks of the preliminary papers it would not have much of an impact.
“We don’t know anything right now,” she said, adding that the budget’s is supposed to be finished by July 1.
“All the numbers I’ve seen show we will receive the same level of funding from the state.” |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 May 2009 )
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