Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Levy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Laurel School Board tables building reserve levy after discussion of May timing and outreach
Summary
The Laurel School District board discussed running elementary and high school building reserve levies in May after the county attorney said November was not feasible, debated outreach strategies and whether to hire campaign help, then voted to table the action to a future meeting.
The Laurel School District Board of Trustees discussed whether to place elementary and high school building reserve levies on the ballot and ultimately tabled the matter to a future meeting.
Clerk (speaker 5) told trustees that "we did get clarification from the county attorney's office that we won't be able to run that in November... So our option is May at this point," prompting discussion about timing and public outreach.
Trustees debated using the longer lead time before May to educate voters through school events, local media and social posts. One board member (speaker 2) said focusing on the May election would "give us plenty of time... to really get that information out there," and suggested community presentations at athletic events and coordinated social-media posts.
Board members also discussed hiring experienced campaign support. One trustee (speaker 6) recommended considering an outside firm that helped with the prior bond, noting the firm provided materials and cohesion; others suggested tapping community volunteers and involving student media or graphic-design students to produce outreach materials at low cost.
Speaker 4 (Donnie), referencing lessons from the previous campaign, warned that delaying action into the next property-tax season could make the board appear responsible for higher taxes: "The taxes will go down this year, but then they'll go up next year. And then we look like the bad guys again." Trustees said forming a committee and resolving to run the levy by early fall would give the district time to organize.
After discussion, board member Chris Epstein (speaker 6) moved to table Action Item A "to a later date to be determined." The chair called for a voice vote; all members present said "aye" and the motion carried. The board did not adopt a levy resolution and left the scheduling and decision for a future meeting.
The board also noted it had received legal guidance that November is not a feasible option for running the levy; no further legal citations were provided during the meeting. The next steps identified were to place further discussion on an upcoming agenda, consider forming a community committee for outreach and refine timing and campaign support plans.
