School Levy will Go Back on Ballot -- With a Change

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. 

The Tuesday night unanimously passed the first of two resolutions that will put a 6-mill renewal levy on the March 2012 ballot. 

Only this time, the levy will be a 5-year issue instead of a continuing one. 

“Clearly, the constituency has spoken," said Superintendent Jeff Lampert. "The voters want the option to renew every five years and we want to give them that option.” 

The issue would replace the existing 6-mill levy that has been in effect since 2002 and which is set to expire in 2012. Like the existing levy, it would not raise taxes, and would continue to generate $7.6 million per year for the district through 2017, said Treasurer Bill Parkinson. 

Board Member David Gusman was optimistic about the 5-year issue, given that the only failed by a 53 to 47 margin earlier this month. The relatively slim loss, he said, was considerably better than the 80 to 20 percent defeat of the 6.9-mill levy in August. 

When looking at the numbers, 5,700 more people voted for the latest issue versus the August issue, he said. 

If the levy fails in March, the board has already pledged to put another issue on the ballot in June, and said it will continue to do so until one goes through. 

If passed, the renewal levy would keep the budget balanced over the next two years, but $2 million in cuts would come down during the 2013-2014 school year to hedge projected state funding losses, Parkinson said. 

In terms of next steps, Parkinson will get the first resolution certified by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and the Board of Education will pass a second resolution at its next work session to put the issue on the ballot.