By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City School’s bond issue inched closer to a win – but was still 32 votes shy when the provisional votes were certified this morning.
That means an automatic recount will be ordered. But Terry Burton, of the Wood County Board of Elections, said the outcome is unlikely to change.
A total of 442 countywide provisional votes were tallied this morning, changing the final count to 3,987 in favor of the bond issue and 4,019 against.
A recount is required anytime the results are closer than one half of 1% of the vote. Burton is hopeful the recount can be conducted next week.
At Tuesday’s board of education meeting, it was clear the scars from the bitter fight over the elementary school bond issue will clearly take some time to heal.
Superintendent Francis Scruci pointed out the differing voting results in varying parts of the school district. Voters inside the city of Bowling Green voted in favor of the bond issue 56 to 44 percent.
But in the rural areas of the district, the numbers were quite different, with citizens voting against the bond issue 74 to 26 percent. Their votes likely weren’t based on the “neighborhood school” argument, since none of the current elementaries are in rural neighborhoods, Scruci said.
“It’s going to be very difficult to make sense out of that,” he said as the board regroups and tries to find a path forward.
That mixed message was seen as voters rejected the building bond issue – but solidly supported three board candidates who stood up for the One Community One School.
The initial count on election night showed 3,960 voting no, and 3,889 voting yes on the combination income/property tax to build an elementary school.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Board President Ginny Stewart thanked those who worked on the bond issue.
“The committed group worked tirelessly for kids, schools and community,” she said.
“I am Bobcat proud and will continue to be Bobcat proud,” Stewart said.
Also at the meeting, League of Women Voters President Lee Hakel praised the school board for focusing on the students during the campaign.
“You took the high road in a difficult situation,” Hakel said.
Richard Chamberlain, who opposed the bond issue, saw it differently.
“This whole ‘high road’ stuff,” Chamberlain said. “I can go on and on about the high road that folks didn’t take. I’m getting a little tired of being shoved onto the low road.”
The rural community is not happy about the board’s “lopsided” reliance on property tax to fund the district, he said. The board’s desire to preserve the tax rollback for citizens seems “disingenuous,” he said.
However, the board greatly reduced the amount of money raised through property taxes by splitting the bond issue equally between an income tax and a property tax. Chamberlain said the board could have gone further by asking for an earned income tax.
Conley pointed out earlier this month that unlike property taxes, income taxes are only paid by residents, not by businesses. So shifting over to more income taxes would be more expensive for average homeowners, since they would have to pick up the costs for businesses – including pipelines.
Steve Bateson said the board needs to listen to those citizens who voted against the bond issue.
“There’s nearly 4,000 people who voted ‘no,’” he said.
According to Bateson, some of the bond opposition was more about support of small schools, than support of “neighborhood” schools.
Bateson also pointed out that while the bond issue won overall in the city, it lost in four individual city precincts.
“We’ve got to quit this ‘us versus them.’ Take the time to listen to people who differ from you,” he said to the board.
