Tax Campaigns Have Met Little Opposition

Tax Campaigns Have Met Little Opposition

By Mary Jo Frank

(News School Reporter)

If there is much opposition, the “nay” voters are keeping pretty quiet until election day—tomorrow.

Between the polling hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Ann Arbor School District voters will decide on a 11.66 mill renewal for operating schools and a 1 mill levy for the library. To date there has been no organized vocal opposition to the two proposals.

Board of Education members and supporters of the 11.66 mill levy have emphasized throughout the election that the 11.66 mills, if passed, will not mean an increase in taxes. If approved, the tax rate will remain at 32.55 mills, the same as for the 1972-73 school year.

Board members are calling the 11.66 mills a renewal even though the ballot proposition reads as an increase. Law requires that the issue must read as an increase because the 11.66 mills expired Dec. 31. It was originally authorized in 1968. If approved, the millage will again be for five years.

If voters do not approve the 11.66 mills, the operating millage for the district would drop by about one third, to 20.89 mills. The projected loss in revenue would be $8,576,342, according to William Wade, controller.

Although the Board of Education has not outlined what cuts would have to be made if the 11.66 mill levy is not approved, trustees have said if it is passed, cuts still must occur because the school district anticipates a reduction in state aid.

Additionally, an estimated 4 per cent inflationary factor will increase 1973-74 expenditures over costs this year, board members report.

Wade estimates the reduction in state aid and the inflationary factor will combine for an estimated reduction in purchasing power next year ranging from $1.4 to $2.4 million.

Local officials are anticipating a budget of $25,573,883 for the 1973-74 school year if the 11.66 mills for school operations and 1 mill for the library are approved.

Ann Arbor Public Library’s millage committee and Friends of the Library have waged a vigorous campaign—complete with bumper stickers, flyers, buttons and speakers—to convince voters to approve a separate 1 mill levy for Support of the library.

Currently the library is budgeted to receive $454,889 from school district revenues. The library’s budget, including state aid, overdue-book fines and penal fines, totaled $528,863 in 1972-73.

Gene Wilson, head of the public library’s reference department, says voters will be asked to separate the library from the school district budget by approving the 1 mill authorization because of a tight school budget and the uncertainty of future financing of education on the state level.

The public library has been receiving increases in revenues over the years, but a shrinking portion of the total school budget.

In 1968-69 the public library received $402,136 or 2.25 per cent of the total school budget. The percentage has steadily declined until in 1972-73 the library received 1.95 per cent of the total budget.

If the school district’s 11.66 mill renewal passes Monday but the library millage fails, the library will receive about $476,805 for its 1973-74 budget, Wilson predicts. The budget estimate includes penal fines, overdue-book fines and state aid.

In 1972-73 the library’s budget was cut to the bone, according to Homer Chance, director of the library. He says purchasing of supplies, books and binding supplies was markedly reduced and the budget for phonograph records was eliminated entirely.

If the library millage fails, the 1973-74 budget would be cut 10 per cent or back to the level of 1970, Chance says.

If the 1 mill authorization is approved, Chance says, the library would probably operate the first year on .74 mill rather than the whole mill. He will request a total budget of $601,021 (.74 mill) if the millage is approved.

During the second and third year of the millage authorization the library might need up to 1 mill for operating expenses, Chance says.

Taxpayers in the school district will pay an extra $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed valuation of property if the 1 mill authorization passes and if the total 1 mill is assessed. If a person owns a home worth $20,000 and it is assessed for $10,000, he would have to pay up to $10 more in taxes for support of the library.

Wilson says action pending on the state level affecting financing of public schools is one reason the public is being asked to separate library support from the school district.

Financing plans being considered by the state legislature, State Board of Education and Gov. William Milliken’s office have not considered the extra costs for school districts which maintain public libraries as part of their budgets, Wilson says.

He adds, school districts which support public libraries would be hurt financially by some of the plans being discussed.

If voters approve the 1 mill levy, the library will continue to be the responsibility of the Board of Education.

When asked about interest in the election, William Stewart, public information officer for the district, says the library issue has popularity and widespread interest because it is an opportunity to establish the library with an independent budget.

Trustee Cecil Warner, chairman of the Millage Proposals Committee, says no one has taken a stand against either of the millage issues when he has talked to groups or individuals about the election.

Warner says he is concerned persons may not go to the polls Monday or may go to the polls and be confused by the ballot issue which lists the 11.66 mill as an increase rather than a renewal.

Ann Arbor residents who vote tomorrow will vote in the same precincts they used for the April city election.

The seven township precincts are different from previous elections.

Township Precinct I will vote at Clague Middle School. The precinct includes Ann Arbor Township Precinct 1 and that part of Webster Township and Northfield Township lying within the Aim Arbor School District.

Township Precinct II will vote at King Elementary School. The precinct includes all of Ann Arbor Township Precinct 2 and that part of Superior and Salem townships lying within the district.

Township Precinct III will vote at Pittsfield Township Hall. The precinct includes all of Pittsfield Township, Precincts 1, 5 and 6 and that part of Lodi Township lying within the district.

Township Precinct IV will vote at Carpenter Elementary School. The precinct includes all of Pittsfield Township Precinct 2 lying within the district.

Township Precinct V will vote at Woodland Hills Apartments. The precinct includes all of Pittsfield Township Precinct 3 lying within Ann Arbor District.

Township Precinct VI will vote at Glencoe Hills Apartments. The precinct includes all of Pittsfield Township Precinct 4 lying within Ann Arbor District.

Township Precinct VII will vote at Abbot Elementary School. The precinct includes-all of Scio Township lying within the school district.