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Waltham Elementary to seek $7.5M referendum on Nov. 3 · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Waltham Elementary to seek seven point five million dollars referendum
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  Speaker 1: on November three, Written by Tom Collins, This article is
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  Speaker 1: being read by an automated voice brought to you by Everlett.
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  Speaker 1: The Waltham Elementary School Board voted Thursday to seek a
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  Speaker 1: seven point five million dollars building referendum at the November
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  Speaker 1: third general election, and beat the clock by just a
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  Speaker 1: few days. By a four to three vote. The Board
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  Speaker 1: of Education effectively opted against trying to sway voters in
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  Speaker 1: springtime trying for the April sixth election had been bandied about,
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  Speaker 1: and instead made the case this fall for easing the
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  Speaker 1: Utica Area District's ongoing space crunch. The majority board members
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  Speaker 1: chose to place the referendum on the November ballot because
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  Speaker 1: the need for permanent classroom space exists today and delaying
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  Speaker 1: the decision does not make that need or the cost
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  Speaker 1: go away, said Alison Nichols, board president. Moving forward now
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  Speaker 1: helps protect the district from additional construction cost increases while
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  Speaker 1: still allowing us to continue pursuing alternative funding sources that
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  Speaker 1: could reduce the impact on taxpayers. Ultimately, these four board
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  Speaker 1: members felt our community has been given the information and
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  Speaker 1: should have the opportunity to make this decision at the
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  Speaker 1: polls in November. Voting against the November third try were
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  Speaker 1: board members Jake Aubrey, Drew Partain, and Brian Phillips. It's
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  Speaker 1: not no to do it, Partain said, emphasizing that the
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  Speaker 1: district needs the space and the cash to fund an annex.
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  Speaker 1: The question was when is best to ask voters. I
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  Speaker 1: think we're all in favor of the plan. Aubrey agreed,
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  Speaker 1: it's the when and how. Phillips issued a statement he
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  Speaker 1: said he wasn't voting against improving our facilities or investing
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  Speaker 1: in our students. I believe we have a responsibility to
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  Speaker 1: taxpayers to exhaust every reasonable financial option before asking them
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  Speaker 1: to take on a significant new tax burden, Philip said.
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  Speaker 1: I felt we should first fully investigate the Village of
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  Speaker 1: Utica's tiff proposal and have the numbers reviewed by our
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  Speaker 1: legal and financial advisors before going to voters. That said,
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  Speaker 1: the majority of the board has spoken and I respect
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  Speaker 1: that decision. At this point, I stamp with the board
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  Speaker 1: as a whole and will support moving forward together in
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  Speaker 1: the best interest of our students, school and community. Waltham
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  Speaker 1: had until August seventeenth to decide whether to put the
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  Speaker 1: question on the November ballot. As previously reported, Waltham is
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  Speaker 1: grappling with a space crunch and surging enrollment. New classrooms
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  Speaker 1: are needed, but would come with a sizeable tax increase.
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  Speaker 1: According to Shaw Local News Network projection, Utica Mayor David
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  Speaker 1: Stewart would pay Waltham thirteen percent more in taxes. Superintendent
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  Speaker 1: Christy Eager had urged the board to aim for a
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  Speaker 1: unanimous vote. We have to show a united front. Eager
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  Speaker 1: had said that appeal fell flat. Though there were no
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  Speaker 1: arguments Thursday, indeed, no discussion of any kind during the
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  Speaker 1: five minute meeting, The board proved as divided as at
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  Speaker 1: previous meetings. The district is, not, however, finished with seeking
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  Speaker 1: alternate funding opportunities, Eager stated. Previously the school was constructed
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  Speaker 1: not by raising taxes, but rather through a tax increment
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  Speaker 1: financing agreement with the Utica area taxing bodies. Eager said
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  Speaker 1: Waltham could enter a similar arrangement to fund the expansion,
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  Speaker 1: or at least defray the costs. Months of negotiations would
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  Speaker 1: be required to pull it off. She said this would
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  Speaker 1: be a fantastic opportunity. Eager had said, if we can
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  Speaker 1: make it work, Eager said Waltham must first secure the
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  Speaker 1: seven point five million dollars through bonds and seek voter
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  Speaker 1: approval to do so, and then see if there are
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  Speaker 1: tiff funds available to abate the bonds and ease the
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  Speaker 1: tax hit.