Revenue Purpose Statement Election
by Mark Schweer
November 04, 2008
When will the election be held?
The election will be held on December 9, 2008. Only Lewis
Central district residents may vote. A simple majority is
required for passage. People may vote on December 9, by
absentee ballot, or at the courthouse.
Why is the district having an
election? What will this
do?
With the passing of the Statewide Penny sales tax, the countywide
penny tax goes away. In actuality, ours in Pottawattamie
County will be in effect until 2012 (expiration of the initial
10-year referendum). The Statewide Penny sales tax will be in
place until 2029. In order for a local school district to
access these monies, a revenue purpose statement election must be
held and it must pass. If a Revenue Purpose Statement is not
passed, the monies must first be used to pay off all property tax
indebtedness. The Revenue Purpose Statement spells out how
this money will be spent. These monies will continue to be
spent on infrastructure (facility maintenance and upkeep and
capital improvement projects). The Board may also choose to
use these monies directly for property tax relief (reducing the
bonded indebtedness associated with the GO Bonds for construction
of the new High School). These monies will allow us to
implement our Master Facility Plan without using property tax
dollars.
Why have the election now rather than waiting?
New election laws go into effect beginning in January of
2009. Elections may only be held four times throughout the
year (February, April, June, & September). If the Revenue
Purpose Statement election were to fail, another election could not
be held for six months. Nearly all of our anticipated sales
tax revenue through 2012 is needed in order to complete the
renovation at Kreft. So in order for us to address any other
facility needs, we must successfully pass the Revenue Purpose
Statement.
Why didn’t we hold the election this past September when CB
did?
The Board of Directors and the Administration wanted to review and
update the Master Facility Plan that had been developed
approximately three years ago. We wanted to be in a position
whereby we could clearly articulate to our patrons what had been
done and what our current and future facility needs are.
Those needs are identified on the backside of this sheet.
How much does it cost to have a special election?
We have been told that the costs associated with holding a special
election will be approximately $7,000. Our cost for the
most recent School Board election in September was nearly
$5,200. So in reality, the additional cost associated with a
special election will be approximately $2,000.
Would this be a new tax or mean we would be paying higher
taxes?
No. Voting for the Revenue Purpose Statement does not mean
taxes will go up, and voting against it does not do away with the
tax. The tax is already in place. This would ensure
that our district would continue to receive the “state penny” for
infrastructure needs.
How much money are we talking about?
Our district has been receiving approximately $2 million a year in
local option sales tax. Our financial advisor has
conservatively estimated that we could expect to collect $45
million in sales tax revenue from now until 2029.
What has already been accomplished with the recently implemented
Master Facility Plan?
Over the course of the past three years, the following projects
have been completed:
* Redesigning of the parking lot at Kreft
* 13 classroom addition at Titan Hill and parking lot
improvements
* New roofs at the Middle School and Titan Hill
* Renovation of Kreft
The Kreft renovation project will be completed in the summer of
2009. The cost of the above mentioned projects will total
more than $10 million. These projects were paid for with
local option sales tax revenue. The fact that these monies
came from local option sales tax revenue rather than property tax
dollars has resulted in property tax relief.
What current and future facility needs have we
identified?
* Air conditioning the High School Gyms and other areas
within the High School
* Improving site drainage especially around the
softball/baseball fields
* Renovation/expansion of concession stand at the football
field
* Central Elementary (demo or renovate)
* Additional gym space at the Middle School
* Replace Middle School roof over the band wing area
* Renovation of pool and locker area at Titan Hill
* Middle School Auditorium improvements
* Renovation of Athletic Building
* Multi-Purpose area at Titan Hill
* Replacement of bleachers on the visitors’ sideline and
improvement of restroom facilities
* Renovate/repurpose ERC
* Additional elementary classrooms and/or new elementary
school
* Additional classrooms at the Middle School and High
School
In addition, there is the normal maintenance
and upkeep associated with buildings and facilities.
Mark A. Schweer
Superintendent of Schools
The Middle School VIP parent group is hosting an informative meeting with Dr. Schweer. Tuesday, November 18th, 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Middle School Cafeteria. Dr. Schweer will be talking about the Revenue Purpose Statement. Since this affects all Lewis Central District residents, everyone is invited. Bring a neighbor or friend to this event!
