Voters in the Greene County School District will cast a ballot on the revenue purpose statement (RPS) to authorize spending revenues from the state 1-cent Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) sales tax.
The special election is slated on Tuesday, Sept. 10, with polls open in Grand Junction, Jefferson and Scranton from noon to 8 p.m. Click here for the legal notice of election.
Absentee voting is underway at the county auditor’s office at the courthouse in Jefferson or ballots can be mailed with the proper paperwork. The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Aug. 31. Click here to see the sample ballot.
The RPS will be the same as what’s in place now for SAVE revenues. It lists 10 uses for the SAVE fund, including property tax relief; building and furnishing a new school building and remodeling or reconstructing school buildings; acquiring or installing information technology infrastructure and school safety and security infrastructure; purchase or lease of transportation equipment and technology; purchase of land as a start-up cost of a student construction program; maintenance of public recreation places and playgrounds and for community education; and more.
Click here to see the sample ballot with the complete Revenue Purpose Statement.
The state legislature during the 2019 session extended the SAVE tax for an additional 20 years, allowing school districts to borrow against anticipated SAVE revenue going out as far as 2049. Every school district in the state that plans to bond against SAVE revenues past 2031 must get approval by the voters of a new RPS.
In the Greene County district, obtaining voter approval of a new RPS at this time would allow the district to borrow more against anticipated SAVE revenues for repurposing the current high school for use as a middle school.
When voters approved the bond issue for construction of the career academy and new high school, $1.5 million was budgeted for repurposing the current high school. That covers the cost of renovating the gymnasium, remodeling the office space to accommodate the district office, demolishing the shop, and some work on the fire alarm system.
The new RPS would allow the district to borrow an additional $3 million against SAVE revenues. Repurposing would then include compliance with code/accessibility requirements, replacement of ceilings and flooring, and mechanical and electrical work.
Approval of the new RPS would not increase taxes, as it refers to the statewide 1-cent sales tax for education. Nor would approval change how the sales tax revenue is used. It merely provides the assurance needed to allow the district to borrow against anticipated revenue. ~The Scranton Journal contributed to this post.
