By Dan Shriner
Review Editor
Residents of the Lake Orion School District voted down two bond proposals on Tuesday totaling $33.2 million.
Proposal A was defeated 3,517 Yes votes to 4,965 No votes. Proposal B was defeated 3,494 to 4,967.
Lake Orion Superintendent Marion Ginopolis said a larger voter turnout might have helped the ballot questions get passed but said she was pleased with the effort by school officials and volunteers.
Voter turnout was about 25 percent of registered voters in the Lake Orion School District . Voter turnout for other ballot questions and elections across Oakland County was at about 20 percent.
‘It’s disappointing but there is nothing more we could have done. I don’t believe we could not have done anything differently. It was a clean and honest campaign,? Ginopolis said.
So what is next?
‘We are going to have to re-group and we will figure it out,? she said.
Please see next week’s Review for more.
Proposal Breakdown
Proposition A, totaling $28.7 million, addressed issues the district believes are essential to renovate for the safety, security and operational efficiencies of the 14 buildings.
Split into three sections, $15 million would be spent on facility and equipment, $11.3 million allotted for infrastructure technology and equipment, $1.94 million covering professional fees and $397,800 would cover bond issuance costs.
Security updates and construction’recommended by an audit performed by the Oakland Township Sherriff’s Department’would cost $2.99 million of the $15 million designated for facility and equipment.
Proposition B are projects termed as ‘enhancements? which would update facilities and equipment, and infrastructural technology and equipment, valued at $4.5 million.
Facility and equipment enhancements would use about $2 million of the Proposal B monies, technology infrastructure and equipment would cost $2.2 million, professional fees would be $255,200 and bond issuance costs $52,200.
Forty-four percent of the bond is composed of technology infrastructure and equipment upgrades; 41 percent is designated as infrastructure, facilities and site upgrades; 10 percent is safety and security enhancements, and 5 percent is for furnishings and equipment.
This means about $17 million would be used for facilities and equipment updates/renovations (building construction, site development, furnishings and equipment and security) between both proposals. Technology and infrastructure would cost $13.5 million for the two proposals, leaving roughly $2.7 million in professional costs and bond issuance costs.