Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood — The Ironwood Area Schools Board of Education approved placing a millage renewal on the Aug. 2 primary ballot Monday, asking voters to renew a non-homestead millage that is a crucial source of funding for the district.
According to information presented at the meeting, in 2012 voters approved an 18-mill tax on property in the district, other than principal residences and other exempt properties.
“What everybody has to understand is, it does not effect their principal residence. So no-one’s houses (are impacted),” District Superintendent Tim Kolesar said Monday. “It will be secondary homes, camps (and other properties).”
The 18 mills translates to $18 per every $1,000 of taxable value for four years.
While the voters approved the 18-mill figure, the district has been able to actually receive slightly less each year since the millage’s passage. Board President Steve Thomas said this was due to Michigan’s Headlee Amendment, which limits the amount a municipality can tax depending on local property values.
The district is currently able to levy approximately 17.8 mills, which Thomas estimated cost the district approximately $35,000 last year.
The language of the renewal on the August ballot would restore the roughly .2 mills reduced by the Headlee Amendment, although the rate would possibly decrease again each year until the next renewal in 2020 depending what Headlee allows.
According to an example cited at the meeting, a hunting camp with a taxable value of $50,000 would see a tax increase of $9.18 per year due to the return to the full 18 mills.
As the millage generates approximately $1,581,216 per year — 21.7 percent of the district’s budget, according to information presented at the meeting — Kolesar warned not passing the millage could have dire consequences for the district.
“Without this millage renewal, the Ironwood district would not have the funding to operate,” he told the board, adding that the state doesn’t make up the difference if the millage fails.
In other action:
—The board authorized the sale of 20 acres of property in Ironwood Township to Sue Warshaw and Kathy Stam. According to information presented to the board, the property had originally been purchased by the district in 1996 for the construction of a new school. According to the language of the sale’s contract, the district had to offer the land to the relatives of the seller, Sam Albert, before seeking another buyer if the district decided not to build a school on the property. Warshaw and Stam, who are related to Albert, decided to purchase the property. Kolesar said he intends to use the money from the sale for the removal of the shredded rubber on the K-2 playground and its replacement with woodchips.
—The board agreed to renew the district’s membership in the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce for $175.
—The board agreed to seek bids for snowplowing services and new fire extinguishers.
—The board agreed to allow portable basketball hoops, soon to be purchased by the Parent Teacher Organization, to be located in front of the school for students to use during recess.
—The board accepted the retirement of bus driver/paraprofessional Nicholas Nelson, effective May 1. The district will advertise for his replacement.
