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School levy officially placed on May ballot
District officials say 1.25-mill, five-year levy must be passed this year to avoid major cuts
By HEATHER REICHLE
Members of the Big Walnut school board hope the second time's the charm for the district's emergency operating levy, officially set for the May 2 ballot.
This time around, the board is proposing a 1.25-mill operating levy that will provide $750,000 over the next five years for the district. The levy will cost residents of the district $38.50 annually per $100,000 in home value.
This will be the second time in six months that the board will ask district residents for support with school funding.
In November, the district's proposed 1.5-mill, $750,000 levy failed with 55.28 percent of the vote opposing the added tax. The millage decreased for the May ballot due to a re-evaluation of county property values. Although the millage changed, the target amount has remained the same.
"We believe that $750,000 will be sufficient to meet the current programming needs," said Treasurer Jim Szabo. "Before, we may have had some money to look at expanding offerings."
Officials are proposing the levy to maintain the current programming the district offers the students. No new programming would be added.
"We just hope that we can let the public know of the need and hope that they will make a decision that is in the best interest of the kids," said Szabo. "The levy is critical; without passage, there will be cuts. We would not be able to offer our current program without additional funds."
"We're not adding programs -- we are trying to sustain the ones we have," said interim Superintendent Steve Mazzi. "Our kids deserve at least that."
Board members are trying to figure out any way they can to get the word out about the levy and make the public aware of the need to pass it.
"When we reflect on what a 1.25-mill levy will do to our budget, we need to reflect on what the money to the students does," said board Vice President Diana Butts. "We produce products of students. We should be ashamed of ourselves if we don't support that."
Szabo said he has confidence that the committees will be able to get the word out and earn support for passage of the May levy.
"I think the ABC Committee will have a much more active campaign than they did in the fall," said Szabo. "There will be much more effort to get the word out."
Mazzi said he is working to put together a group of volunteers to help out with the levy campaign.
"It's always a couple people doing 95 percent of the work," he said.
Mazzi is looking to find five people to volunteer as co-chairmen to cover all segments of the Big Walnut school district. The five core groups will meet with volunteers from each building. The PTO presidents will be the captains of the committees from each building, and they each will have their own task. Each of the board members also will be assigned to a team.
"My hope is that having five groups to focus on one thing vs. everything together will help the campaign," said Mazzi. "The fact that people are out there will get the others excited."
Mazzi's proposed timeline has volunteers getting the campaign started late this month or early in March. From the end of March through April, volunteers will push for the vote of district residents.
Mazzi and other board district officials continue to stress the importance of a "yes" on the May ballot.
"It's essential," said Mazzi. "There is no way to sustain the programs we have now with the money that we have this year."
The district already has made cuts with reductions of field trips, supplies and instructional materials.
"I believe we already offer what I would call a 'no-frills' program," said Szabo. "Anything less and I believe we would be doing harm to the education of the kids."
Habitat officials show interest in Sunbury
Sunday, January 15, 2006
By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Delaware County Habitat for Humanity officials have been working with the village of Sunbury to secure property for homes for low-income families.
Habitat executive director Jackie Kuhns said the organization has identified two land owners -- Becky and Glen Hayes and Don Compton -- on Case Street who are willing to sell their property for residential use.
However, the street does not reach the properties, which are vacant. Kuhns said, "We're talking about extending the road to properties we're interested in purchasing."
Habitat had previously been working to acquire property on Sedwick Street, owned by the village. The village bought the property in case there was a need to expand the water treatment plant.
When the village voted to name Del-Co Water Sunbury's lone water supplier, the village no longer needed the lots. The village would have to sell the land by public bid and Habitat officials said they couldn't compete.
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One of the Case Street property owners has three lots available that could be used for two homes. The other homeowner has six lots available.
Kuhns said Habitat is waiting to hear back from the village planning and zoning commission. If the lots were platted prior to changes in the zoning code, they can be used for Habitat homes.
Lots previously needed 50 feet of front frontage. Current code calls for 70 feet, and the Habitat lots would be less than 70. The issues will undergo legal review, village engineer BillNewton said.
"The big issue is extending infrastructure, roads and utilities, and whether we can afford the lots once that is done," Kuhns said.
Kuhns met with zoning clerk Emmett Abella and Newton this month to gather information. She said Newton seemed willing to help.
Newton said since homes would be built on Case Road short of where the road stops, Case would have to be extended.
"Other than that we would have to look at stormwater collection (and) whether it is capable of taking care of the new roadway and roof from the houses, sanitary sewer, and the water would have to be looked at by Del-Co," Newton said.
Since the lots are existing Habitat wouldn't need to go through the platting review process. At most, the land would require a lot split or two.
Two of Habitat's partner families are from Sunbury. One had a grandchild with special needs who was attending Big Walnut Schools. When the mother died in April the grandmother couldn't afford to stay in the community and accepted a home in Delaware.
"She really wanted to keep (the grandchild) in the Big Walnut school district," Kuhns said.
A second client has a developmentally disabled sister. With no homes available in Sunbury, she pulled out of the program.
"She was familiar with Sunbury," Kuhns said. "She lived there all her life.
She said land in Delaware County is too expensive for low-income families. The organization targets people who earn 25 to 50 percent of the median family income. Delaware County has Ohio's Community Housing Improvement Program money for down payment assistance, but there aren't affordable houses available for purchase, Kuhns said.
"Our goal is to keep families in homes," she said.
Habitat has 24 homes in Delaware and everyone is current with their mortgage, she said. The organization works closely with families and stays in touch with them after homes are built.
Kuhns said Habitat regularly checks up on its homes and sends a letter to the homeowner if upkeep is needed.
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