UPDATE : The Chippewa Valley school board has just voted YES on the Resolution to Approve Application for Preliminary Qualification of Bonds.
Here are two sets of documents relating to the current bond proposal and previous bonds:
1.) These show that they will borrow [ scan0026] $31,543,200 from the State, and other various financial documents.
Will they shop for 60 million more in the open bond market?….. Adding to the already millions we already owe.
2.) Here are documents [scan0019 ] showing project sheets submitted to the Treasury over 15 years / 3 bond issues. They are padded with dreamed up projects for this one site: Dakota High school. No way 31 million dollars was dumped into this school built in 1994. Where is all the money going? More chillers and roofs? At this point, one has to ask: Who is really profiting from all of this “construction”? And they are claiming these new millions are for technology. How ironic since they refuse to tape and broadcast their meetings. They don’t want us in their business.
Considering the Macomb Sewer Interceptor will be costing us taxpayers a cool fortune, this is not the time for another 1/2 mill.
He doesn’t care if you pay more.
Ronald Roberts is our Superintendent. He is pushing for this Tax Increase [Let’s call it what it is] and does not live in the Chippewa Valley school district;
not even in Macomb County. He lives in a $600,000 french villa style condo in Oakland County. Mr Roberts and the Chippewa Valley School Board must think the voters have a short memory.Remember! In 2014 the State Treasury mandated the district to raise our mills by .99 Mills from 7.65 to 8.64 because they are not paying down our current debt fast enough. Incredibly, they are in the consideration phase of proposing a 90 million dollar New bond . On the schedule is meeting with the Michigan Department of Treasury in Lansing in January, 2017.
May 2nd, 2017 is the target date for a vote on an half a mill increase to 9.14 mills.
Here is a clip from the November 21, 2016 meeting with discussion (actually, no real discussion). I taped and broadcast this myself. This board refuses to tape and broadcast their meetings.
Some highlights:
-Mr Roberts is clearly driving this push for more borrowing. Is he feeling pressured to keep Barton Malow and their select contractors rolling in the dough? The board sits fairly quiet.
He also asks for a motion from the board. He is not an elected board trustee.
-The bond idea was run by a district wide PTO focus group. Trustee Pyden admits there were a ” few dissenters”. The newly Elected Ms. Pyden hides behind some papers.
-They will work up some “themes” to make this palatable to the taxpayers and give special thought on how to package it for the non- child households.
The most recent Chronicle article is here/Macomb Daily version here outlines the plan(s). It’s another nebulous money grab to “update technology”, in other words, give every kid a handheld device. They may have “infrastructure” and roofs that may or may not need fixing…..Didn’t we just update technology with the last 90 million and did that get paid down?
You can calculate your 1/2 mill increase in dollars by multiplying your home’s value by .0005. A $200,000 valued home will pay $100.00.
Let’s consider this August 24, 2015 article in Debtwire. It’s a publication which does something unique by reporting on debt situations before credit ratings are downgraded.
This article was written in response to what Chippewa Valley was doing in the bond market. Basically, they have a practice of borrowing to pay back their loan debt from the state of Michigan.
Chippewa Valley Board went to the outside market to borrow: We have $233 Million in bond debt obligation.
To compare mills with surrounding districts:
New Haven- 3.68 Utica Schools 1.927 L’Anse Creuse 7 Mr Ron Roberts pays 2.95 for his schools.
Top 6 reasons to Tell RON NO BOND™ :
1.) We are in dangerously high debt. Where is it all going? Someone needs to investigate.
2.) Every update possible has been done to these schools. Student population has dropped from 16,539 to 16,470 .
None of this “new” technology or top of the line furniture makes students any smarter.
3.) Millions of dollars in changes, mistakes and add-ons have gone out after contracts. This works out great for Barton Malow and their selected contractors. Not so much for Taxpayers.
4.) High mills on our homes decreases our resale potential.
5.) The economy has still not recovered and many households are still struggling financially.
6.) This upcoming special election will cost at least $47,000.
Checks paid out from CV schools for the 2010 bond vote. This could have paid for a lot of sidewalks or crossing signage.
The board is looking for feedback- Call –Tell Ron No Bond ™
(586) 723-2000.
