“A stitch in time saves nine” was Benjamin Franklin’s way of saying it costs less time, money and effort to take care of problem areas when they are small rather than waiting for them to become major ones.
It’s the same way with public facilities such as school buildings and property. It’s more cost effective to take care of worn carpeting, broken sidewalks and pot holed drives and parking lots before someone trips and falls and gets injured and sues the School District.
Fixing two or three things is always more expensive than fixing one.
No mechanical equipment lasts forever. Every homeowner knows that. It’s the same with the School District’s mechanical equipment.
The School District has spelled out in great detail just how the funds will be used. Go to lakeorion.k12.mi.us.org – scroll down a little and on the right hand side it says “LOCS Sinking Fund Information.” You will find a complete list of what is being proposed and when.
Why doesn’t the School Board just save up money over the years to pay for these things? Basically, state law doesn’t allow it. In 1994 when the voters approved increasing the state sales tax by 2¢, the State Legislature changed the way K-12 schools are funded. Those schools are now funded through the School Aid Fund.
If a school district wanted to build new buildings or make major repairs, then it had to raise the money locally. That’s why the Lake Orion School District is now seeking approval for a Building & Site Sinking Fund millage.
A Sinking Fund is the most cost effective way of paying for repair and replacement of mechanical equipment for heating and cooling the buildings…for upgrading to more efficient and less costing lighting fixtures…for ensuring that school facilities are safe for students, staff and visitors.
It just makes good economic and taxpayer sense to approve the Building & Site Sinking Fund millage proposal on August 2. Please join me in voting yes.
JoAnn Van Tassel
Lake Orion resident