Video courtesy USD 489 News
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
At the most recent bond issue town hall meeting Thursday, a crowd of around 30 asked questions and discussed the need for the $94 million bond issue that would allow the district to repair and expand facilitates through the district. During the meeting, the crowd engaged positively with Superintendent Dean Katt, who led the presentation, asking a variety of questions throughout the meeting.
The positive interaction was likely a relief to the embattled administration and Hays USD 489 Board of Education members, as several high profile disagreements have plagued the groups in recent weeks and community support for the bond remains low.
Most recently an ongoing informal poll on Hays Post found support for the measure well under 40 percent. While that might seem low, many of the promotional aspects of the bond have yet to begin.
“We really haven’t started the bond campaigning,” Katt said. “We are in the infant stages of this campaign.”
The district cannot advocate for the bond, only share information.
And so a committee – called Fund Our Future First – will spearhead the campaign supporting the bond issue.
During this early parts of the bond issue campaign, the district, along with the FOFF committee, has worked to collect signatures in order to allow for the possibility of a sales tax question being put on the election ballot.
Signatures will be collected until Monday.
“We should know next week if the sales tax is even an option,” Katt said. “We’re working on that right now.”
The district would need 10 percent of eligible voters within Hays city limits in order to put the question on the ballot. That number is estimated to be around 1,200.
The sales tax, if approved, would begin after a current Ellis County sales tax would sunset, effectively leaving sales tax rates the same.
During the meeting, it was reported at least 838 signatures had been collected and many more had been reported, but not yet counted.
Volunteers will continue working through the weekend to collect signatures.
During the informational session, the topic of a planned “Art Court” at Hays High School was addressed.
Katt said while it might seem extraneous, in reality it is due to a concrete needing replaced. The concrete in place currently slopes toward the building, allowing water to collect on a classroom floor.
The art court in essence is replacing that concrete slab and adding a little bit of landscaping, Katt said.
The space would be used by art students working on projects suited for an outdoor setting.
The necessity of passing the full $94 million bond now, rather than piecing it out, was also discussed.
For every year the bond is not completed, the architects project a 6 percent cost increase, Katt said. With a $94 million project, a 6 percent increase would increase the project cost over $5.6 million every year.
And, as an audience member pointed out, the needs that would be addressed by the bond will only continue to compile as years pass, so a lower bond amount would require another bond in the near future, at a significantly higher cost to taxpayers.
The next town hall meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hays Middle School, 201 W. 29th.