By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
When it failed by a narrow 21-vote margin last spring, officials in the Yorkville School District indicated a referendum question asking voters for permission to exceed the state’s revenue caps would likely re-emerge in a future election.
This week, district officials followed through on the sentiment, announcing plans of placing a question on the ballot in April, this time asking to infuse an additional $670,000 annually into the operating budget through the 2022-23 school year.
Unlike last year’s referendum question, which used the phrase “recurring basis,” this year’s ballot item intentionally has a time constraint on the length.
If a majority of voters give the district the go-ahead to exceed the tax caps, Superintendent Dave Alexander said the question would have a 5-year lifespan. In totality, the district is asking for an additional $3.35 million.
“After four years, we’ll re-evaluate where we’re at,” Alexander said of the plan in an interview with the Westine Report. “We’ll have a better idea then of where we’re at.”
A year ago, Yorkville officials said the district faced challenging headwinds in the future, based on projections.
Although the situation is not dire in the immediate future, Alexander last year said the district faced the possibility of becoming insolvent in the next half-decade if nothing changes and all existing, staffing, programs and capital needs remain intact.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the Jan. 26 edition of the Westine Report. The newspaper is on sale at retail outlets throughout the community.
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