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Litchfield board previews November ballot ask to continue 15% maintenance override
Summary
CFO and the district's investment banker briefed the board on a proposed early continuation of the district's 15% M (maintenance & operations) override, how the voter pamphlet tax rate is calculated, and messaging choices the district will use if it calls an election on April 28.
The Litchfield Elementary School District governing board on April 14 received an initial briefing on the possibility of asking voters this November to continue the district's existing 15% maintenance and operations override.
CFO Vaughn told the board the override is currently the maximum permitted by state law and that it played a major role in the district's 2025 staffing and budget. "In 2025, the M override fully or partially supported 155 full‑time equivalent positions and 744 employees received some amount of compensation from the override," Vaughn said, noting the funding category definitions used in the voter pamphlet. Vaughn recommended small wording changes for ballot language — replacing "maintain" with verbs such as "support," "invest in," or "fund" — to give voters clearer expectations about how the money is used.
Brian Lundberg, the district's investment banker, explained timing and tax‑calculation mechanics, emphasizing that statutory projection rules can make the voter pamphlet tax‑rate figure appear higher than the rate residents experience. "Although we do believe it will be about 61 cents in a couple years, your voter pamphlet's going to say something more like 64 cents," Lundberg said, adding that the difference is driven by the state requirement to use assessed values for a future fiscal year when preparing pamphlet projections.
Board members pressed for clear, plain‑language messaging to explain the difference between projected tax‑rate numbers in the pamphlet and actual household tax bills. Miss Wallace said the district should emphasize that the additional amount is small in household terms; Miss Moran urged maximum transparency so employees paid with override funds understand what a failed continuation would mean.
District staff said a resolution to call the election is likely to be brought to the board at its April 28 meeting so the county elections office can begin statutory pamphlet and calendar work. If the board calls an early continuation this year and voters approve it, the new continuation would replace the current override and full funding would remain through fiscal 2032, with phase‑out rules beginning thereafter.
Next steps: staff will refine ballot category language, prepare required county voter‑pamphlet materials, and bring a resolution for the board to consider at the April 28 meeting.
