The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Sinking fund likely to be on May 8 ballot
Money to help fund building repairs and upgrades
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 11, 2007
The Saline School District plans to seek voters' approval of a sinking fund millage in May, Superintendent Beverley Geltner informed the school board Tuesday.
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Talk of a possible sinking fund millage has been circulating among district staff for several months, but Tuesday night was the first time Geltner confirmed the district was ramping up plans to put a request on the May 8 ballot.
"There are facility and infrastructure needs that have to be met," said Geltner said, pointing to some parking lots and playgrounds, as well as outdated building equipment. "We don't want to take the money out of the operating budget. More accurately, we can't take the money out of the operating budget because the money isn't there."
Geltner said Deputy Superintendent Nancy Brenton would head up the campaign. Brenton has experience with organizing broad community support behind millages. She was instrumental in passing the Community Project 2000 bond, which was a $124.5 million bond to, among other things, build the new high school and Harvest Elementary School. She was also the point person on the passage of the CARES Recreation Millage, which is 0.85 mills for 10 years.
Brenton told the board she planned first to gather input from district employees to identify a priority list of needs.
"This is about needs, not wants," she said. "We simply have no budget for capital outlay."
Brenton described the sinking fund as a cost-aversion measure for the general fund.
Brenton said she expected to compile the input by the end of January.
"We expect to have a good idea of what the sinking funds need to be by the end of this month," she said.
By the end of February, Brenton expects to take a proposal to the board for approval.
Brenton said she does not believe the millage would exceed 0.50 mills or 10 years based on community feedback and a survey completed by the district's long-range planning committee 18 months ago. The survey showed strong support for a sinking fund of 0.25 mills, which was the third highest-ranking idea, and middle-of-the-road support for 0.50 mills.
Sinking fund money only can be used for building and facility repairs and upgrades, and cannot be used to pay salaries, benefits or teaching supplies, or other day-to-day costs.
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