It appears the Swanton Local Schools 3.4-mill substitute levy for necessary requirements did not pass, but it will not be known for sure until the final results are certified by the Boards of Election. It was given the nod in Fulton County by a vote of 649-514, but in Lucas County, there were 309 votes against and 171 votes for.
So, the final unofficial tally is 823 votes against and 820 for the levy. It is close enough that the final official count could change the outcome.
“These results are not yet official and there are some outstanding absentee and provisional ballots that may yet be counted by the Board of Elections,” said Superintendent Chris Lake. “I have no idea if those votes will help or hurt the levy and that process will play out over the next couple of weeks prior to the official certification of the election.”
As it stands, he is preparing for the eventuality that the levy was defeated.
The levy would have replaced a current emergency levy that generates $825,000 per year. Substitute levies are similar to renewal levies in that taxes would not increase for current property. But substitute levies can collect more than the original amount by taxing new property.
“This levy generates 5.5% of the district’s operating budget so it is absolutely necessary that we will be back on the ballot in 2022 to try and get it passed again. Swanton Local Schools simply cannot absorb the loss of this revenue without having to make deep cuts to our programs and services,” said Lake. “In the end, the money that is generated for the district goes toward helping our students to receive a quality education that prepares them for success later in life and when cuts have to be made it is the students who feel the brunt of it the most. The treasurer and I will be discussing our options with the board in the very near future to see how they would like us to proceed.”
