By Pat Maurer
Correspondent
A scaled down version of the renovation plans for Clare’s school buildings will be back on the November 7th ballot next week along with a recall election for Redding Township and a small portion of Arthur Township voting on a renewal of the 18-mill levy on non-homestead property for Beaverton Schools.
This is a second try for a bond issue to upgrade Clare Schools and build a new high school. The first election, for a $66.52 million bond, turned down by voters last May, has been reduced to $49.85 million.
In July, Superintendent Jim Walter, explaining a second try, said, “Our goal is to keep the cost under $50 million.”
He continued, “With the help of a new architectural firm, we now have a more straightforward design (two story academic wing) connecting all three main buildings and have reduced the square footage by nearly 30 percent.”
Tuesday, Walter explained, “The bond would:
Build a new high school including a gymnasium, kitchen/cafeteria, academic classrooms, and industrial arts spaces.
Remodel portions of the current high school to create a 5th grade “pod” of classrooms and create a secure vestibule/entry.
Remodel the existing middle school gymnasium into an auditorium.
Remodel the west wing of the middle school to provide space for preschool programming and class size initiatives.
Decommission and remove the remainder of the current middle school.
Construct parking and drop off loops to alleviate traffic concerns.”
The ballot proposal will finance the cost of “erecting, furnishing and equipping additions to school buildings, remodeling, furnishing and refurnishing and equipping and re-equipping school buildings; acquiring and installing instructional technology and instructional technology equipment for school buildings; and preparing, developing, and improving playgrounds and sites.”
“The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2024, under current law, is 6.10 mills ($6.10 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a 4 mill net over the prior year’s levy”
Redding Township’s ballot has three of the members of the board on a recall ballot: Republican Supervisor Bruce O. Scarbrough and two Republican Trustees: Nancy L. Scarbrough and Marlene McGlashen. All of the recalls are for partial terms.
The recall petitions were authored by Township resident John Thompson and each read, “for the following reasons – voting to adopt Public Property Safety Ordinance No. 33 at a Redding Township regularly scheduled meeting on November 15, 2022.”
Thompson went to the Clare County Board of Commissioners last November where he played a video of part of a regular township meeting which revealed a racist remark made by a transfer station volunteer. He said he realized that the County board could not “do anything about the township board’s actions, but said he didn’t believe that the township board should “condone” things like that. In a November, 2022 Clare County Cleaver article, Thompson said, “This is some disgusting behavior by my township supervisor and some of the board members. This has been going on for quite some time – there’s so many different elements to this that it’s not even funny.”
Thompson said in that earlier article, he began working on the recall petitions about a year ago, after he had received a blight ordinance notice about property he owned that was “grandfathered in.” He said he “discovered many things that were incorrect when he was trying to get more information about the legality of the notice.”
He said the issue with the board had started over “property owner rights,” that his property is “non-conforming and the supervisor didn’t understand that.
The third item on the November 7 ballot concerns a proposal for Precinct 1B of the Arthur Township. The ballot asks voters to approve the renewal of “18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its full revenue per pupil foundation allowance and renew millage that will expire with the 2024 tax levy.”