Ypsilanti June 14 School Election

Jun 9 19:04 UTC 1993

Ypsilanti has school elections on June 14.  We will be voting on
two proposals and for one school board position.

        Proposal A

        Operational Millage Renewal Proposal

As a renewal of an increase previously approved by the electors which
has expired, shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be 
imposed on taxable proporty in School District of Ypsilanti, County of
Washtenaw, Michigan, be increased by Thirty=Three Dollars and 
Seventy Cents per Thousand Dollars (33.70 mills) on the state equal-
ized valuation of all taxable property in the school district for a 
period of one (1) year, the year 1993, in order to provide additional 
funds for operating purposes of the school district?  If the statewide
proposal on the ballot at the June 2, 1993 election passes, such in-
crease would be limited to 8.30 mills over the tax rate allocated by
the Michigan Constitution for operating purposes, to the extent per-
mitted by law.


        Proposal B

        Capital Improvement and Maintenance Millage Renewal Proposal

As a renewal of an increase previously approved by the electors which 
has expired, shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be
imposed on taxable property in School District of Ypsilanti, County of
Washtenaw, Michigan, be increased by Seventy Cents per Thousand 
Dollars (0.70 mill) on the state equalized valuation of all taxable 
property in the school district?  If the statewide proposal on the
ballot at the June 2, 1993 election passes, such increase would be 
limited to 0.70 mill over the tax rate allocated by the Michigan
Constitution for operating purposes, to the extent permitted by
the law.


Yes or No for both proposals

                Member of Board of Education
                        Term Ending in 1997

                Vote for not more than one

        David J. Archbold
        Martin Alan Church
        Michael Freund
        Diane Kerr

response 2 of 16:

Jun 10 15:39 UTC 1993

I've always voted in the local elections.  This year, though, I'm
considering *not* voting as a protest due to the fact that *all* the
board members should have resigned when the 4.8M shortfall was "discovered".
 
None of the new board candidates even have made this an issue and it
really irritates me.  I'm afraid if I actually vote, I would vote
*against* the mil. renewal because of this even though I usually
rubber-stamp mil renewal requests.

response 4 of 16:

Jun 11 01:09 UTC 1993

IF YOU DO NOT VOTE, THEN YOUR VOICE IS NOT HEARD OUTSIDE WHERE YOU COMPLAIN
HERE, AND WHEREVER YOU GO.  VOTE!  THEN YOU CAN VOICE YOUR OPINION TO THE
WORLD.  

Not enough people vote.  Typically about 50% of people vote.  Don't be one
of those 50% that don't vote.  If you don't like the job that someone's
done, then *DON'T* vote for them.

If they're all scummy, then vote for the LEAST scummy person.  I'd like to
see more participation of the public in politics, instead of people just
complaining that things are messed up, and not give any way that they can
fix them.

response 6 of 16:

Jun 11 04:06 UTC 1993

That's good.

The 50% was the top that they had in a LONG time, back for Prez.  If this
last year, we had more people interested than normal, and we get 50%,
that's still bad.. That's an E in school.  I'd like to see the people of this
country do better than an E.

Once I can vote, I'm going to register, etc... but for now, I've got just
a little more than a year left until I'm 18.

response 8 of 16:

Jun 11 15:13 UTC 1993

I don't know if its "underhanded" or not, but I *always* vote in favor
of the millage renewals for education. I see a lot of not very well paid
teachers working very hard (against almost insurmountable odds!), to
educate our kids, knowing that a better job could be done with better
resources. So I support the millages, but take out my gripes with the
educational establishment when voting for board members. 

response 10 of 16:

Jun 16 16:23 UTC 1993

Yes, it was underhanded when it tries to sell itself as "THIS IS NOT AN
INCREASE in voted mills".  Well, sure, but it sure is a *big* increase
in $$$ payed through property taxes because of the 17% assessment increase!
 
When you try to sell something as a "renewal", that implies "no additional
cost".  That is the falsehood.  

response 12 of 16:

Jun 17 11:04 UTC 1993

Geez, people, the big bad assessors don't get together and plot increases
in SEV.  The assessment is based on *value*.  If the assessment exceeds
50% of the value, you can appeal to the Board of Review and to the state
to have it reduced.  (Most people who appeal get at least some reduction.)

I am prepared to politically support certain kinds of tax breaks, e.g.,
homestead exemptions and such.  However, in the absence of a political
decision to create a carefully delineated loophole, it is grossly unfair
for assessments to be based on anything but real-life market value.

response 14 of 16:

Jun 17 20:44 UTC 1993

People's assements are always changing.  Probably some property had its
assessments raised much more; others were kept the same or lowered.
If your asset is worth more, you'll be taxed on the higher value.

But I guess I can see your point.  No reason to get into a big
argument about it.

Since this is the Ypsilanti school election item, I'd like to ask about
the school board candidates.  I think I read that Diane Kerr was the
winner.  The Ann Arbor News seemed to really like her.  Anybody have
any sense of the pros and cons of the candidates?  (I'm a non-Ypsilanti
resident, so I'm not as up on this as on Ann Arbor.)

Also, I hear the school board recall there ran into a barrier with
the Election Commission.  What's the problem?

response 16 of 16:

Jun 19 13:40 UTC 1993

They have resubmitted the recall, giving seven different versions of the
wording.

There is some specific reason why the recall is targeted at four people:
I forget what it was, but I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time.