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Peoria SD 150 board tables county facility sales tax question after public outcry, seeks public plan
Summary
After sustained public comment urging more transparency, the Peoria Public Schools board voted to table a proposal to place a county school facility sales tax on the November ballot and asked for a public spending plan before reconsideration.
Peoria Public Schools trustees voted to table a resolution that would have placed a county school facility sales tax question on the November ballot, following multiple public speakers who urged the board to delay and publicly explain how revenue would be used.
At the noon meeting, public commenter Lesie Danich said stakeholders who had weighed the proposal concluded "The time is not now. First we have to do the work," and urged the district to share a clear spending plan, project timelines and examples of prior uses of funds before asking voters for more revenue. Earlier, Maria Diaz told trustees, "You all should be ashamed of yourselves," criticizing what she called needless spending and saying taxpayers, especially retirees on fixed incomes, were being asked to bear an unfair burden.
Audience member Andres Diaz, who said he had pursued a legal challenge and lost on a technicality, asked the board not to take actions that should be reserved for newly elected members. Superintendent Dr. Bill, speaking at his first board meeting, said "we've heard you" and left the decision to the board as a body.
Vice President Paris McConnell moved to pull and table the ballot-resolution item so the new leadership could review the recommendation that had come from the previous administration. The motion to table was carried in a recorded roll-call vote at the meeting. Trustees then approved the remainder of the consent agenda (items 1–8) in a separate roll-call vote.
Board members who supported tabling said the district should accompany any ballot question with community engagement and a public spending plan — noting that when a similar question appeared on the November 2016 ballot it had included a spending plan and civic outreach. Several trustees said a July noon meeting is a poor time for major public items and expressed support for evening sessions so constituents can attend.
The board did not take further action on the ballot question at the meeting; trustees said they would return to the matter after new leadership had time to examine the master facilities plan and produce a public-facing proposal.
