Iron Mountain, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Iron Mountain School District has proposed a bond, which details a plan to build and improve, as well as consolidate schools in the district. The district is holding several Bond 2023 proposal meetings which are intended to answer questions regarding the proposal, and to share what the school has considered in its plans. Full details of the school district’s bond plan can also be found on the school website.
The total debt of the bond would not exceed the amount of 16.93 million dollars, but it would mean a significant hike in property taxes for all property owners in the city. The ballot will list an increase in 2.45 mills, which for property owners would mean an increase of $2.45 per $1,000 of taxable value, when the city has already seen an increase of 5 percent this year.
The school Superintendent, Jerry Sardina, says that the investment is about the future of education. “We’re asking people regardless of where they send their children, or even if they don’t have children to consider putting at the top of your priority list the improvement of this community, and the investment into children,” he remarked. The plans include improving access to early kindergarten and kindergarten, which according to Sardina, is the gold standard in education.
The school board will be hosting several upcoming informational town hall meetings as the May 2 election day approaches. The next meeting will be tomorrow night at 6pm central in the Izzo-Mariucci Admin Center. There will be more meetings announced on the school’s website in April. Sardina is asking voters to not let rumors or social media guide how their ballots will be cast, but to come to the meetings, talk to the school, and get their questions answered in-person. Previous proposal meetings are posted on YouTube, and tomorrow night’s meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube for those who are unable to attend in-person.
“They need to take a few minutes out of their day, and come see us, talk to us, listen to what we are presenting, and certainly ask their questions. A lot of people unfortunately, human nature is to talk with other people who may have been at the meeting that may have summarized a few things,” said Sardina.
The City Mayor, Dale Alessandrini, thinks the burden is too much for residents to bear, especially with tax rates having increased by 5 percent this year.
“People aren’t going to be able to live anymore. It’s just getting too hard, especially for older people. Older people are on fixed incomes, they can’t afford these taxes. The City of Iron Mountain has kept our taxes down as much as we can. We haven’t raised taxes at all, except for the ones the state says we have to,” said Alessandrini. He thinks the school could make other changes before asking for an increase that he says will significantly impact city residents.
“Why don’t you add the new curriculum, see if that will impact bringing in more students, and then ask for the millage? That would be more apt to pass then, rather than build the schools and hope they come,” stated Alessandrini.
Voters who aren’t registered are able to register in person even on election day, which is May 2, at City Hall or Bay College West.
Further details of the bond proposal and school plans can be found at:
https://www.imschools.org/bond-2023.html
Last week’s proposal meeting is available on YouTube, here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/A54GXc0IRtE?feature=share
For the school district’s property tax calculator, visit:
https://pfmtaxcalc.com/SchoolDistrictoftheCityofIronMountain/default.aspx
