FIVE AREA SCHOOLS ARE PUSHING MILLAGE RENEWALS AS MAY 8 ELECTION APPROACHES

By DEBRA HAIGHT

BCR Correspondent

The first of 2018’s three elections takes place next Tuesday with five school millage proposals on the ballot in Berrien and Cass counties. While the May election affects only voters in five area school districts, everyone will have something or someone to vote for in August and November.

The Berrien Springs, Coloma, Dowagiac, Lakeshore and Watervliet school districts are all asking voters to approve millage proposals. Three are for renewals of nonhomestead operating millages while the other two are for a sinking fund and bond proposals to make school improvements.

Residents in the Berrien Springs School District will be asked to approve a renewal of the district’s nonhomestead millage levy on May 8.

The district is asking residents to approve the nonhomestead millage renewal for five years to provide funds for general operations. The millage request will be for 19.3 mills although only a maximum of 18 mills will ever be levied.

Business Manager Ellen Hasse said the district will be asking for a higher millage levy so that they will be able to levy the full 18 mills in instances when it would have otherwise been reduced by the Headlee rollback. The nonhomestead millage is levied only on businesses and second homes and not people’s primary residence.

The current nonhomestead levy expires this year and the proposed new levy if renewed will run from 2019 through 2023. The new levy is expected to raise $1.7 million in 2019.

In Coloma, a sinking fund millage request is on the ballot. The school district is asking voters to approve a millage of up to 1.25 mills for 10 years, 2018 to 2027. The levy if approved would raise over $482,000 in its first year.

School security is the focus of the sinking fund request although the funds raised will also pay for the repair and renovation of district buildings. The district already added secure entrances to all school buildings after a 2012 bond issue. The new sinking fund will allow the district to upgrade doors, windows, locks, glass and surveillance systems.

The Dowagiac Union School District is asking residents to approve a renewal of the 18 mill nonhomestead millage levy in the May 8 election.

The current nonhomestead millage levy expires this year and the new levy, if approved by voters, will run for five years from 2019 to 2023 to provide funds for general operations. The ballot language asks for a renewal of 17.8992 mills plus an addition of .1008 mills to bring it back to the 18 mills allowed under law.

The school district will be able to collect over $5 million in tax revenue in 2019 as a result of the nonhomestead levy which represents 23 percent of the school district budget. The levy will be on industrial, commercial, some agricultural properties as well as “second home” residential properties.

In Lakeshore, voters are being asked to approve a $21 million bond issue to pay for school and facility improvements. If approved, the district’s current 4.2 mill millage rate will be extended out 20 years into the future. Without the new bond issue, the rate for the existing millage would decrease by 1.3 mills this year.

A district facilities study completed several years ago outlined the areas where improvements needed to be made, including upgrading facilities and improving technology.

The new bond issue proposal calls for funds to be spent on technology and learning, the purchase of six school buses, capital improvements inside and outside of school buildings, safety and security upgrades and energy efficiency projects.

The Watervliet school district is asking voters to renew the nonhomestead 18 mill millage levy. The nonhomestead levy is on businesses, commercial buildings, agricultural land and second homes. Districts need the nonhomestead levy in order to get the full amount of aid from the state.

The district’s request is for a one-mill increase for six years, from 2018 to 2023 to restore millage rolled back in past years. The district would not levy more than 18 mills in any year. The one-mill levy would raise $5,200 in its first year.