By Steve Mayer

Monroe

To the Editor:

It’s been seven months since the passed referendum to build a new high school and the district borrowed $88 million. Where are we? The legal system has confirmed the district did not state any untrue facts prior to the vote. The problem was the board failed to tell us the whole story and they and the judge confirmed they did a poor job of explaining the tax impact. They knew the exact amount of everyone’s school tax portion of our property taxes in October but chose not to relay that to the voters.

I was really hoping the board used the time during deliberation to come up with a plan so they could hit the ground running. It appears they did nothing, just like the year off due to covid. It is clear to me that this board, not counting the three new members, has an agenda and does not want to sway from it. Prior to the referendum vote the cost was questioned, “can we still build this for $88 million with a three-year-old quote?”. Well, the contractor stated at a board meeting lat month we can’t! Good luck asking the residents for more money!

We are at a point now where he board needs to conserve wherever possible. Everyone talks about the additional land purchase as minimal dollars. Perhaps $3 million is a small portion of the project. The bigger issue is the long-term loss it would be for our community going forward of the Donny or Dolan properties. The yearly farmland property tax is minimal. The industrial park is nearly full and the most logical property for expansion is the Donny Property. Put 10 businesses on this property and consider the taxes they would contribute. Same with the Dolan property. If the school district buys this land, it will be removed from the tax rolls FOREVER!

I’ve been hearing how the board is going to do a survey and wants community feedback. Here is mine, get going on building a new high school on the current high school property. There is a huge difference in “wants and needs”. It’s pretty obvious you don’t have the funds for the “Taj Mahal” you are dreaming of and the clock is ticking!