ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – According to unofficial results tallied by the Delta County Clerk’s Office, roughly 52% of voters approved an operating millage proposal for Escanaba Area Public Schools.
In 2016, voters supported a 15-year millage at a rate of 18 mills. However, property values have since risen at a greater rate than inflation, leaving the district unable to levy the full 18 mills. Tuesday’s ballot proposal was for an increase of 2.6061 mills through 2031, to be levied ”only to the extent necessary” to make up the difference.
If the proposal had not passed, the district estimated that it would have lost roughly $1 million over the next six years. District Superintendent Dr. Coby Fletcher says he is grateful to the voters for their continued support of Escanaba Area Public Schools students.
“It’s easy for people to look at that and say, ‘Well, you know, this is just another tax; this is just more money,'” said Fletcher, “but they were able to say, ‘I think the schools are going to use these funds the way they need to be used.’ We’ll use them in the classroom, for teaching staff, for maintenance and upkeep of our buildings. It’s hard to overstate how appreciative we are that the community was willing to come out and vote for it.”
For additional background information on this millage, click here.
