Capital Projects Proposition on Huntington Ballot
A capital project proposition will appear on the May 19 ballot in the Huntington School District after trustees decided to ask residents to release monies held in the district’s Building Improvement Fund, which voters established in May 2008 to finance renovation and reconstruction projects.
Since the funds for the proposed projects already exist in the capital account, the district will not have to borrow any money, pay interest or raise taxes. The district would also be eligible for state aid on a percentage of the expenditures associated with the projects.
The proposed projects include: Installation of new exterior cafeteria doors at Jefferson Primary School where none currently exist and accessibility improvements in the school’s bathrooms related to the Americans with Disabilities Act ($235,000), installation of new exterior cafeteria doors where none currently exist at Flower Hill, Washington and Southdown primary schools ($87,000) and installation of special auditorium area safety smoke doors at Huntington High School, which will help create a distinct smoke free zone ($46,000). The projects were requested by the State Education Department as safety measures.
“Approval of this proposition is an alternative to the district having to go out and bond the work,” Superintendent John J. Finello said.
If voters support release of the funds, taxes will not increase since the monies are already in place. No new revenues are required. The funds represent dollars already provided to the district by taxpayers that, because of tight fiscal management and economizing, weren’t needed to pay for regular school operations. The source of the funding is the annual transfer of surplus monies from the district’s general fund.
Monies in the Building Improvement Fund can only be used for capital projects, including new school roofs, windows, doors, boilers, facility improvements, etc. Completed projects are eligible for state aid. Last year residents voted to allow the transfer of up to $10 million of surplus monies into the fund over the life of its authorization.
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