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BELOIT -- Voters in the West Branch Local School District will be presented with the question of a proposed one-mill, five-year permanent improvement levy in the General Election Nov. 3.
During its July 20 meeting, the West Branch Board of Education voted unanimously to present voters with the question of the levy for the district's long-term facility and maintenance needs. The proposed levy has a five-year collection period beginning in tax year 2026 and continuing through tax year 2030 and would first be collected in calendar year 2027.
If approved by voters in November, the levy is projected to generate approximately $441,471 for the district annually at a cost to residents of $35 for each $100,000 of assessed property valuation, meaning the owner of a home valued at $200,000 would pay twice that amount.
District officials have said the levy is necessary to provide the district with funding for repairs and maintenance that are essential to the day-to-day operation of the district's buildings and their longevity as they continue to age like HVAC systems and roofing, and equipment costs like school buses.
In a June 15 meeting of the board of education Superintendent Matthew Manley stressed that the district currently has no permanent improvement levy to fund those needs, and that if approved, the money generated by the levy would be and could only be used for those maintenance costs.
"Our buildings are approaching 25 years old, and we have repairs that need to be done to stay in operation. A permanent improvement levy cannot be used for salaries. It can't be used for anything but its purpose. Some of that is not glamorous, like asphalt. It's not glamorous until your car hits that pothole, and you have a broken rim. That's what it's for," Manley said.
If voters do not approve the levy, the district has said it would be forced to pull funding which would otherwise be spent to benefit students and fund classroom operations.