San Juan County Proposition 2
From the Online Voters Guide (CLICK):
The Board of Directors of Orcas Island School District No. 137 adopted Resolution No. 2011-09 authorizing a capital levy for facility improvements. This measure provides funds for the repayment of the principal due on the bonds issued by the District for certain renovations of the Nellie S. Milton Elementary School and authorizes the following excess levy for one year on all taxable property within the District:
| Collection Year |
Approximate Levy Rate/$1,000 Assessed Value |
Levy Amount | ||
| 2012 | $0.28 | $900,00 |
Should this proposition be approved?
The School Board desires to pay for the improvements with a capital projects levy and it has adopted a resolution to submit the capital projects levy to the voters.
A “yes” vote approves the imposition of the levy for the year 2012. A “no” vote opposes the imposition of the capital levy for the year 2012. A simply majority is necessary for the measure to pass.
Statement For
The rehabilitation of our elementary building now provides a physical environment where our children and teachers have clean air to breath, clean water for drinking, and warm water to wash hands. No longer will children and teachers wear coats in classrooms to stay warm during winter or suffer from bad air. Old failing systems have been replaced.
Our school district won a $900,000 grant to pay for half of the repairs, which had to be matched by a $900k loan for the other half. To meet the time requirements of the grant it was necessary to do the rehabilitation this summer while the school was unoccupied. The Board, with the encouragement of 44 concerned Orcas residents, agreed to accept this unique opportunity, but because of time constraints was not able to seek a vote first.
Generous Island families have committed to raise $100,000 to help offset that loan. The rehabilitation will save on energy consumption immediately. Bond rates are the lowest in years. The estimated levy rate for 2012 is $0.28 per thousand dollars of assessed property value for only one year.
Please support the positive steps our OISD Board took to create a healthy learning environment for our children.
Statement Prepared By:
Joyce Burghardt
Andrew Stephens
Rachel Adams
Statement Against
Section two says, “levy proceeds may only be used to support construction and remodeling.” Of the $900,000 borrowed by OISD without voter approval, $250,000 has already been raided to shore up the general fund. For the district to use money borrowed for other than the original intent could have been a breach of contract. It does not comply with section two.
If this resolution does not pass, OISD is not worried. They have said they can make the interest payments for quite a while by raiding proceeds from a capital project at the high school. That’s why they would rather spend money on grandiose plans for state of the art facilities than do the necessary maintenance on the current buildings. They do a project then raid the proceeds.
If OISD would budget correctly they would not have to raid the project funds. Instead they use special elections, crisis situations, a building they haven’t maintained or a grant they can’t resist as tools to balance their budget.
It is time to cut up the credit cards, keep the budget under control. Reject project slush funds. Stop irresponsible borrowing. Vote No on the capital project levy.
Statement Prepared By:
Melvin Shapiro
Chris Butler
Contact information: responsibleschools@gmail.com
