Co-chair of the Lucas Renewal Levy Committee Marianne Sweat introduced members of the Levy Renewal Committee at a public meeting Monday at the Lucas Elementary School cafeteria. The committee, Sweat explained, has been meeting and planning support for the levy since the beginning of September.
“The committee is a great cross-section of the Lucas community that truly cares about our schools, their children, and staff,” explained Sweat. She also wanted residents to know that no school resources were used to promote the levy. “We even used levy signs from previous years to keep our expenses down.”
Richland County Chief Deputy Auditor Robin Golden made an appearance to talk about the levy. She again stressed that the levy is a $12.9 mill renewal levy, which will not increase taxes.
Golden said, “You’re going to see fluctuations with taxes based on Homesteads based on 2-1/2 percent credit. The new levy’s going on right now will cause taxpayers to lose 10 percent to 2-1/2 percent.” As a renewal levy, this won’t happen to residents in Lucas.
Superintendent Dan Freund followed Golden by re-stressing the importance of the renewal levy.
“This is a renewal levy. It generates $961,000 per year. It represents about 18 percent of our operating budget. People ask me, ‘what happens if it fails?’ If it fails in a couple weeks, we’re going to have a discussion about what direction to go. We’ve got some reserves,” said Freund. “If this fails, we would go into deficit spending mode. Lights won’t be turned out in January, but on down the road we will have some serious questions as far as continuing what we’re currently offering.”
If the renewal levy fails, an emergency fiscal committee will be assigned and their job will be to “balance the books,” as Freund explained. Shelby went through such a fiscal emergency and Freund stressed that it was a very hard thing for a district to go through.
“We’re relying on this community to do what it’s always done, and that’s to support our kids.”
