Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021
Coldwater school levy passes
Same levy failed in special election
By Sydney Albert
Photo by Dan Melograna/The Daily Standard
Voters gather Tuesday at the Coldwater Municipal Building to vote in the general election.
COLDWATER - A 2.5-mill continuing permanent improvement levy for Coldwater Exempted Village Schools that voters initially rebuffed in August passed Tuesday night with more than 62% voting in favor, according to unofficial Mercer County election results.
The levy, which will be used to fund maintenance projects for the school, including roof repair and HVAC work, failed at the Aug. 3 special election. Approximately 56% of voters, or 598 people, voted against it, while a little more than 43%, or 465 people, voted in favor.
On Tuesday, however, 1,349 people voted in favor of the levy, approximately 62.08%, with 824 votes against, or 37.92%.
The levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $87.50 per year.
Following the initial failure in August, the board of education moved quickly to place the issue on the November ballot. District treasurer Jenn McCoy had warned if the levy was defeated in the general election, the school district's maintenance fund would be depleted by the end of the year.
School administrators were seeking the levy to pay for costly maintenance projects, including long-discussed roof repairs estimated at $2.2 million, updates to the school's HVAC system estimated at $1.3 million and other miscellaneous projects such as brick waterproofing and gym floor repairs.
Superintendent Jason Wood thanked the Coldwater community for their support Tuesday night, as well as the efforts of levy committee members Jerry Kanney, Jack Hartings and Charmaine Bettinger. He also thanked McCoy and board of education president Jack Waite for their hard work in getting information to the community.
Wood felt that better voter turnout due to more issues being on the ballot, open forums hosted by the district to answer questions by community members and signs put up by the levy committee helped garner a more favorable result this time around.
The district had received more feedback regarding the levy in the build up to this election than it had prior to the one in August, according to Wood.
Wood also congratulated Mike Hoying Jr., Jim Miller and Greg Bruns for being elected Tuesday to represent the community on the board of education.
Photo by Dan Melograna/The Daily Standard
Timothy Brunet and other residents vote in Tuesday's general election at the Coldwater Municipal Building.
