Suits Cloud School Bond Vote

For die first time in Ann Arbor history, non-property owners who are registered to vote will be allowed to cast ballots this June 8 on the Ann Arbor School District's fivepart bonding issue, according to present plans of school officials. The same procedure will also be followed by the Washtenaw Intermedíate School District for its June 8 proposal to fund a county-wide vocational education facility. This plan may change, however, if the U.S. Supreme Court renders a decisión on an Arizona case before the June 8 election date. The confusing situation carne about in June of 1969 when two U.S. Supreme Court decisions held that constitutional and statutory provisions limiting voting on bond issues to property owners are un constitutional based on the 14th Amendment. Subsequent to these two deci sions, a similar decisión was rendered in a federal court ii Arizona. The Arizona decisión ïas been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A ruling is expected sometime this spring. Michigan law on the subject of bonding issues is "quite imiliar" to Arizona law, according to George Balas, business manager for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Michigan aw states that only property owners and their spouses may vote in bonding elections. Balas says he has been advised by bonding attorneys Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone of Detroit to allow nonproperty owners to vote this June, because of the "shadow" of the judicial decisions. If no Supreme Court decisión is rendered by June 8, nonproperty owners will be allowed to vote on the bonding issue. But the votes of property and non-property owners will be kept separate, and will be cast on separate machines, Balas says. The ínter medíate School District proposal will appear on the ballot as two questions. One i cuestión will ask for permission to issue $5,000,000 in bonds to j build and equip a vocationaltechnical school. It is on this kind of question that votingl, has been restricted to property owners in the past. The second question will ask for authorization for the levy of one mili to repay the bonds and opérate the program. All registered voters may cast ballots )n the millage question. Balas says the followingl Drocedures will be followed ii'l 10 Supreme Court decisión isl Eorthcoming by June 8: - If the vote of the property I awners defeats any or all of thel issues, they are defeated. - If any or all of the issues! are passed by the property I owners, the votes of the 1 property owners will then bel considered. - If a combined vote defeats I any or all of the issue, theyl will be considered defeated, I pending the verdict from thel U.S. Supreme Court. - If a combined vote passes! any or all of the issues, theyl Iwill be considered approved. But the property owners will Ifirst have had to approve the lissue or issues before the non-j Iproperty owners' votes are con-l Isidered. I - A combined favorable vote lonp the issues will not be considlered approved if the proposiIt i o n was defeatedbythe Iproperty owners. .