Voters in the Swartz Creek School District will be asked to approve a renewal of a 1.8 mill building and site sinking fund tax levy during a special election on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

At its regular meeting on December 9, 2009, the Swartz Creek Board of Education approved a resolution establishing the special election and the ballot question.

The renewal, for 20 years, is needed to continue to provide for a sinking fund for maintenance, improvements and repairs of school buildings, explained Swartz Creek Superintendent Dr. Jeff Pratt.  The current levy expires December 31, 2010.

"This is not a new tax and it will not increase property taxes homeowners are paying now," Dr. Pratt said.  If approved by the voters, it is estimated that the millage will provide $1.8 million in revenue for the school district in 2011.

The average age of academic buildings in the school district is about 46 years.  "The building and site levy provides the needed funds to help maintain the structural integrity of our buildings," Dr. Pratt added.

For a home with a market value of $100,000 the taxable value should be approximately $50,000, so a homeowner is paying $90.50 per year for the Sinking Fund, or about 25 cents a day.  The levy, which the community has renewed for the past 30 years, cannot and will not be used for salaries and supplies.