Mentor district narrows projected shortfall; board schedules special meeting to map levy and cuts

District finance officials told the board Dec. 9 that they have narrowed an earlier projected shortfall and will meet Dec. 15 to plan levy scenarios and potential cuts.

Chief financial staff said the district had reduced a previously noted revenue loss of about $1.1 million to roughly $414,000, in part through asset sales and delayed receipts. The CFO said the district is roughly $321,000 better than the October forecast and that, at an $114 million scale referenced in the presentation, the district is tracking close to break-even for the year with continued monitoring. Staff also said some receipts arrived late, including a check from Lakeland Community College, and noted one-time adjustments used to close gaps.

Board members and staff then focused on contingency plans if voters do not approve new money. Finance staff estimated that failing to secure a May property-tax levy could leave the district facing a revenue shortfall in the range the staff discussed — "anywhere from $5,000,000 to $7,800,000" depending on the levy amount — and urged the board to provide direction about how aggressive cuts should be. The administration said it is already pursuing $2 million in annual reductions and will prepare a “doomsday” scenario that shows more severe cuts if necessary. Board members asked for clarifying details on what the administration considers "nonessential," said they wanted comparative salary benchmarking for administrative positions, and discussed retirements (staff said 25 certified staff have indicated retirement for next year) as a source of potential savings.

The board set a special meeting on Dec. 15 to review detailed options, asked staff to prepare lists of positions and budget lines that could be reduced under alternate scenarios, and discussed possible timing for a May levy and, if needed, a fallback in November.