The Marquette Area Public School Superintendent posted a letter to the community on Monday, warning that there may be delays in the implementation of renovations that residents improved a tax increase to pay for on May 5.
Local resident Margaret Brumm, who previously tried to stop the district from changing the district’s sports nickname from Redmen to Sentinels, has requested a recount of the May 5 bond issue vote.
Brumm justifies the request because a local television station erroneously posted incomplete results on Facebook that night, showing that the bond issue had been rejected by voters. Ultimately, the Marquette County Clerk’s office reported final unofficial results that showed the proposal passed by more than 500 votes.
In Monday’s letter to the community, MAPS Superintendent Zack Sedgwick acknowledged Brumm’s right to request to force a recount of the ballots. But the superintendent also warned the community that this move will delay the progress of the project, even if the recount later this month confirms the passage of the proposa
The superintendent’s letter to the community is printed below.
Dear Families, Staff, and Community Members:
I am writing to share an important update about the bond proposal approved by voters on May 5, and to explain why the district’s bond planning timeline will now be delayed.
A community member has filed a petition requesting a recount of the results from four precincts for the purpose of “Discrepancy between results first reported and final results unofficial”.
The recount petition indicates that the recount is being sought because of an erroneous Facebook post, which inexplicably indicated that Marquette’s voters had rejected the bond proposal.
The Facebook post occurred well after the election polls had closed. Consequently, the erroneous report could not have swayed any voters, as all votes had already been cast. In short, the recount petition is based solely on a false media report, and not on anything directly related to how the May 5 election was conducted.
The recount process is a legal right available under Michigan law, and the Marquette Area Public Schools will fully respect and follow that process. At the same time, it is important for our community to understand that this recount will delay the next steps in our bond planning and may create additional costs for the district and taxpayers.
The May 5 unofficial countywide results showed the bond proposal was approved by a vote of 3,629 to 3,116, with 53.8% of voters supporting the proposal. We remain confident the recount will confirm the final results of the election.
Because of the recount, the district’s original financing schedule has been disrupted. MAPS had been preparing to complete due diligence, secure a bond rating, price the bonds on June 8, and finalize closing on June 25. That timeline will need to be adjusted as the district waits for the recount process to conclude on May 28.
This delay may also affect how the district levies taxes for the voter-approved bond. School taxes for the City of Marquette are typically levied on July 1 and collected over the summer. However, any delay in the bond sale would mean the district may need to consider placing the levy on the winter tax bill, issued December 1, to ensure we can meet our first required interest payment.
We recognize this could have a financial impact on residents as they plan and budget.
In addition, if the petitioner’s deposit does not fully cover the administrative and labor costs associated with the recount, any remaining election-related expenses may be billed to the district.
We will continue to keep families, staff, and community members informed as this process moves forward. Thank you for your continued support of our schools and for your partnership as we work through these next steps.
Sincerely,
Zack Sedgwick
Superintendent
Comments