Despite the superintendent’s announcement of her retirement, the stadium renovation vote was the hot topic among attendees at the Liverpool Central School District’s Board of Education meeting Monday Jan. 12.
Members of the district’s Stadium Committee implored the community to ask questions and do their best to gain an understanding of the stadium reconstruction project before the vote Feb. 26.
“There’s actually 15 different activities now and nearly 100 volunteers working to make sure that the public understands this project and how the project is being funded,” said BOE member Unangst, himself a member of the committee. “We really feel that this proposal that was made by the original stadium committee is a good solution. It’s frugal. It’s effective. The use of turf makes it that much more cost-effective. There’s going to be no tax impact – no new tax associated with it. Our district needs this facility.”
Residents agreed.
“I think it’s an embarrassment that we don’t have a field to play on,” said John McCullay. “As a community member, I think we need something like that. Your proposal, I think, is a good one.”
No tax increase
Some residents questioned what would happen if the state funding fell through.
“Being the state’s situation regarding cutbacks, have you been guaranteed the state funding, this $4 million?” Craig Jants asked.
“From what we’ve been told repeatedly, there is no plan at all to cut building aid as a way of balancing the state budget,” Board President J. Mark Lawson said. In the unlikely event that said money is cut, “I don’t think there would be any willingness among this board to go ahead with the project, because that would not be using the funds that we had allocated. Our intention is for there to be no tax increase.”
Lawson emphasized that the district had been assured by the state that the funding promised for the project would come through.
Jim Kane, a member of the stadium committee, asked a question about the wording of the proposition voters will be deciding on.
“In the proposition, it says, ‘And to raise the sum of $4.225 million by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of the district to be collected in annual installments… which may be offset by New York state aid available therefore,’” Kane said. “The way the proposition is worded, it’s a little confusing, and I’m just concerned that members of the community will read this and be confused.”
The board assured Kane that the project included no tax increase; the proposition is worded in such a way for legal reasons.
“That’s the money that has to be collected, and that is worded pretty much the way you have to word it legally,” Lawson said. “A lot of education has to be done for this vote. We’re asking permission from the local voters to raise that money, but that money, that $4.2 million, is to be collected in state aid.”
Kane said he also had heard that the state aid would be coming for the project.
“I called Sen. DeFrancisco’s office and spoke with Dottie – I don’t recall her last name – she did confirm what Mr. Lawson said,” Kane said. “Those funds that are allocated by the state for building aid are not in jeopardy at this point.”
