Courtesy of the Record Herald; Printed 12.16.12
WEST MILTON — Almost a month and a half after the official election, the Miami County Board of Elections determined the Milton-Union School District renewal levy still did not pass.
It is the board of election’s common procedure to do a recount if the difference between the support and opposition votes is less than half a percent. The board announced this week that after the recount, the final result stayed the same.
The five-year, 10.9 mil renewal failed by nine votes: 2,572, or 50.09 percent, against the levy and 2,563 votes, or 49.91 percent in favor of the levy.
The levy was intended to go into the school’s general operating fund and has been used for operating expenses, salaries, benefits, maintenance and taxation.
The levy first passed in 2002, and renewed in 2007 with 56 percent of votes. If it had passed in November, no additional taxes were to be raised.
According to a statement released by school officials, the district is moving forward with placing the same renewal levy on the May 7 ballot. They stress it is not a tax increase, but a renewal, and is not used to pay for the new school building.
At the last team management meeting, Treasurer Chuck Klein said additional community outreach for May could included using social media or having a question-and-answer session at a local restaurant.
If the residents vote yes in 2013, the school will not miss any tax collections. The levy accounts for about $1,700,000, or 13.7 percent, of the general fund. It also amounts to 30 percent of the school’s property tax revenue, according to Klein.
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