Brought to you by Election Magic May 3, 2005 Election - 05/03/2005

Proposal Text

Athens Area Schools -- Bonding Proposal

Shall Athens Area Schools, Calhoun, Branch, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph Counties, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Two Million Nine Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($2,925,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefore, for the purpose of: Erecting, furnishing and equipping an addition or additions to and/ir partially remeling, furnishing, refurnishing, equipping and re-equipping existing school facilities, in part for acquiring and installing educational technology; and developing and improving sites? The following is for information purposes only: The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2005, under current law, is 4.50 mills ($4.50 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of any refunding, will not exceed six (6) years. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be requipred to retire this bond debt is 4.49 mills ($4.49 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). (Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited, and the proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs, teacher, administrator or employee salaries, or other operating expenses.)

Colon Community Schools -- Operating Millage Proposal Exempting Principal Residence and Qualified Agricultural Property

This proposal will enable the school district to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property except principal residence and qualified agricultural property required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. Shall the limitation on the amout of taxes which may be assessed against all property, exempting therefrom principal residence and qualified agricultural property as defined by law, in Colon Community Schools, St. Joseph, Branch and Kalamazoo Counties, Michigan, be increased by 6 mills ($6.00 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of 9 years, 2005 to 2013, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2005 is approximately $52,127 (this millage is to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constutition of 1963 and will be levied only to the extent necessary to restore that reduction)?

Comstock Public Schools -- Bond Proposal

Shall the Comstock Public Schools, County of Kalamazoo, Michigan, borrow the principal sum of not to exceed Forty-Nine Million Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars ($49,900,000) and issue its general obligation tax bonds for the purpose of defraying the cost of: *erecting, furnishing and equipping additions to existing School District Buildings; *remodeling, equipping, furnishing, reequipping and refurnishing existing School District Buildings, including safety and security improvements; *acquiring and installing technology equipment and infrastructure in and connecting School District buildings; and *improving and developing sites, including playgrounds, outdoor athletic fields, facilities and structures in the School District? the estimated millage to be levied in 2005 to service this issue of bonds is 5.87 mills ($5.87 per $1,000 of taxable value) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate required to retire the bonds of this issue is 5.70 mills ($5.70 per $1,000 of taxable value). the bonds may be payable in not to exceed 26 years from the date of issue. (Under State law, bond proceeds may not be used to pay teacher or administrator salaries, routine maintenance costs or other Dchool District operating expenses.)

Mattawan Consolidated School -- Operating Millage Renewal Proposal Exempting Principal Residence and Qualified Agricultural Property

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property except principal residence and qualified agricultural property required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, exempting therefrom principal residence and qualified agricultural property as defined by law, in Mattawan Consolidated School, Van Buren and Kalamazoo Counties, Michigan, be increased by 18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for the year 2005, to provide funds for operating purposes, the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2005 is approximately $1,600,000 (this is a renewal of millage which expired with the 2004 tax levy)?

Otsego Public Schools -- Operating Millage Renewal Proposal Exempting Principal Residence and Qualified Agricultural Property

This proposal will allow the school district to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property except principal residence and qualified agricultural property required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, exempting therefrom principal residence and qualified agricultural property as defined by law, in Otsego Public Schools, Allegan, Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties, Michigan, be increased by 18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, from 2005 to 2014, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes (17.7170 mills of the above is a renewal of millage which expired with the 2004 tax levy and .2830 mill is a restoration of millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963); the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved any levied in 2005 is approximately $2,450,000?

Parchment School District -- Operating Millage Proposal Exempting Principal Residence and Qualified Agricultural Property

This proposal will allow the school districe to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property except principal residence and qualified agricultural peoprty required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, exempting therefrom principal residence and qualified agricultural property as defined by law, in Parchment School District, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, be increased by 18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2005 to 2014, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes (17.7084 mills of the above is a renewal of millage which expired with the 2004 tax levy and .2916 mill is a restoration of millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan constitution of 1963); the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2005 is approximately $870,000?

Plainwell Community Schools -- Operating Millage Renewal Proposal Exempting Principal Residence and Qualified Agricultural Property

This proposal will allow the school district to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property except principal residence and qualified agricultural property required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, exempting therefrom principal residence and qualified agricultural property as defined by law, in Plainwell Community Schools, Allegan, Kalamazoo and Barry Counties, Michigan, be increased by 18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2005 to 2014, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2005 is approximately $2,029,226 (this is a renewal of millage which expired with the 2004 tax levy)?

Portage Public Schools -- Building and Site Sinking Fund Tax Levy

Shall the limitation on the amount of property taxes which may be assessed against all property in the Portage Public School district be increased by, and the Board of Education be authorized to levy, not to exceed .50000 mill ($.50 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of five (5) years, being 2005 to 2009, inclusive, to be used for the creation of a sinking fund for the purchase of realestate for sites for, and/or the construction or repair of, school buildings? The estimate of the revenue increase the School District will collect if the millage increase is approved and levied in the 2005 calendar year is approximately $1,041,000.00 from local property taxes.

Vicksburg Community Schools -- Millage Proposal, Building and Site Sinking Fund Tax Levy

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in the vicksburg Community Schoold, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph Counties, Michgian, be increased by and the Board of Education be authorized to levy, not to exceed 1.5 mills ($1.50 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of twenty (20) years, being 2005 to 2024 inclusive, to create a sinking fund for the purchase of real estate for sites for, and the construction or repair of, school buildings and all other purposes authorized by law; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage increase is approved and levied in 2005 is approximately $592,500?

Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency -- Regional Millage Proposal

Prusuant to state law, the revenue raised by the proposed millage will be collected by the intermediate school district and distributed to local public school districts based on pupil membership count. Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, Michigan, be increased by 1.5 mills ($1.50 on each $1,000.00 of taxable valuation) for a period of 3 years, 2005, 2006 and 2007, inclusive, to provide operating funds to enhance other state and local funding for local school district operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2005 is $9,475,000.00?