By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The Savannah School District is hopeful that an updated 15-cent tax increase levy will pass in the upcoming election, after failing three previous times.
Savannah voters flatly rejected a 69-cent levy increase in April of 2020. The district tried two other times with a much lower 15-cent increase that voters narrowly defeated.
District spokesperson Jess Gillett says with the recent mascot change some voters might think this tax increase will go towards that.
"You know every chance we get we really want to reassure people that this maintenance levy is truly for maintenance only, it doesn't have anything to do with our mascot, we promise that's not an ulterior motive," Gillett tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "But there's some community members feeling hurt by that, so you know that's kind of where we are, I think we're working against that a little bit."
Gillett says the increase won't cover everything the district believes it needs to get done, but it will help with necessary maintenance improvements over time.
Gillett says the job of the district is to educate Andrew County residents and that’s what the tax increase will be used for.
"If it doesn't pass in April, then I think that really the burden is on the school district to reach out to our community and really feel like, you know we want everyone to know we are listening, we do see the needs," Gillett says. "And maybe they're voting no because they see other needs and there are other things."
The district recently held a community forum aimed at educating the community on what the levy will be.
Gillett says the district has tried to inform the public about the levy and how the money will be spent through open forums, board meetings, and work sessions.
"Turnout for those things is low, which is a little disappointing," Gillett explains. "We want to communicate with people, we want to have a two-way conversation with them, but it takes two, right?"
Gillett says the school district is always available to answer any questions, and it even has information up on its website.
You can view that information about the tax levy HERE.