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Another District Turns Down Bond
Topic Started: May 20 2012, 06:37 PM (375 Views)
LPS Reformer
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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OTISVILLE, Michigan – LakeVille schools will not see any new bond for improvements after voters Tuesday rejected two proposals that were split from a single proposition that they had previously voted down.

Voters rejected a 15-year, $11.2 million bond proposal last year.

Tuesday, proposal one was defeated by a 1,461 to 1,282 vote and proposal two was defeated on a 1,697 to 1,028 vote.

Several bond proposal supporters, including LakeVille School District Superintendent Vickie Luoma and bond committee organizer Amy Swantek, waited anxiously for the results at Oties Bar and Grill, 229 S. State Road in Otisville.

"I'm very disappointed for the students that they didn't get approved," Luoma said. "This time around, we've narrowed the gap. The needs haven't gone away, and there's still major repairs that need to be done."

Luoma said those supporting the bond proposals need time to regroup before planning another proposal in the future.

The choice voters had on the ballot issue involved ballot proposals for a pair of 15-year bonds.The first proposal was a 0.9-mill levy that would raise $7.5 million for several projects, including roof replacements at three district buildings, energy upgrades and new surveillance systems at all school buildings and the bus garage.The second proposal was a 0.65 mill levy that would raise $4.1 million to build a 500-seat auditorium and add a 35-space parking lot.

LakeVille Community Schools Board President Jeff Wood said earlier in the day the key to the approval of the proposals was the turnout of the parents who voted.

"The key to our last defeat was our parents that didn't get out and vote," Wood said.

"When we did our research, we discovered that we only had 17 percent of our parents living in our district that actually voted in the last bond election. The bond committee this time did a phenomenal job of getting the word out to the parents to get their support out and to make sure they vote this time around."

Wood said if both the proposals are rejected, the administration will have to go back and do research to figure out why it was defeated and come up with a new plan.

The bond would have resulted in a significantly lower interest rate for the projects thanks to a $5 million federal loan the district received from the Qualified Zone Academy. The district also reduced the original $880,000 price tag on stadium renovations by trimming the number of track lanes and upgrading bleachers without new seats.

Some voters who voted against the bond proposals still believed their taxes would increase if the proposals were approved.

"They don't use the money properly when they get it, so I voted no," said Otisville resident Earl Mondeau.

Otisville resident Roger Bailey also voted no on both bond proposals because of his point of view on the school administration.

"They are irresponsible with the money that they already have," Bailey said. "To put it simply, there's too much administration."

Other Otisville residents like Sarah Lichtenfelt felt the school improvements were needed, and that they would not significantly affect taxes.

"I voted yes the first time, and clearly I voted yes this time. What else is a better investment than the children in our schools? I have kids in LakeVille that are involved with sports and in the arts, so I think both the auditorium improvements and the building improvements are all necessary."

The bond committee has been at every sporting event, band concert and community forum in attempts to gain support for the bond proposals, Swantak said.

"We thought we needed from the last election 400 more positive voters. We have those now, but there more voters this time around," Swantak said. "I don't know what else we could have done."




“Child Abuse” means different things to different people....
----Randy Liepa 8/9/12
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srj900
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CITY TO ASK VOTERS TO REINVEST IN ROADS MILLAGE ON AUGUST 7On April 4, the Livonia City Council unanimously approved a resolution to ask voters to renew a Roads Millage for 10 years. The request goes before the electorate Aug. 7.

The millage request would maintain the same 0.89 mills rate that has been in place since 2002 and allow the City to continue investing in its local streets to maintain infrastructure.

Ready for money out of your pockets folks? What about gas taxes that are increased every time the price per gallon goes up? You mean none of that comes back to Livonia? I say vote no to anything that takes more out of our pockets. If we have to get by on less, so should our government. And, one last thing. What about all the salt and overtime saved this winter when there wasn't any snow to shovel. What happened to those savings?
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