8/8/12 Levy failure means long-term hit for East Holmes

  • By Nick Sabo
  • August 8, 2012
  • 349
                        
The effects of the failure of a 3.77 mill levy for East Holmes Schools won’t be felt immediately. The levy failed in the Aug. 7 special election with 1,352 votes against and 761 for. The levy would have generated $1.5 million per year for the district, with the first half, $750,000, collected during the 2012 - 2013 school year. The full $1.5 million would have been collected the following year. East Holmes Superintendent Joe Edinger said that the loss of the $750,000 will have a long term impact. The district has drawn up a five-year budget forecast that, had the levy passed, would see at least four years in the black. The $750,000 was factored into the budget with the other revenues expected from the levy, and without it, the district will again have to make adjustments to its budget. “What we’ve lost tonight is that we can’t collect, we’ve lost $750,000 we can’t recoup,” Edinger said. Even if East Holmes manages to pass a levy in the future, the $750,000 can’t be replaced in the budget, Edinger said. Edinger said the district has only two options to bring revenues up - a levy or income tax. Without new revenue, the district will have to look at its budget again and adjust. Edinger did not say Tuesday what the adjustments may entail. The district will not be back for a levy attempt in November. The deadline to file for issues in the presidential election was Aug. 8. The 2012 - 2013 school year is “in the books”, Edinger said, and no changes in staffing for the next school year will be made as a result of the levy being voted down. Had the levy passed, Edinger said the plan was to meet with school officials and see if some budget measures brought on by past levy failures could be repealed. However, staff levels would have stayed the same. Edinger said an income tax has been looked into as an option. To raise $1.5 million per year, the schools would have to pass a .75 of one percent income tax. Votes cast in the Aug. 7 election include 19 provisional, and 19 absentee, ballots that have not been counted.


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