To the editor:

We need your help once again. When you go to the polls this Tuesday, March 15, you will see several local issues on the ballot.

One of those issues is the Permanent Improvement levy. Please, don’t let the word “Permanent” scare you into thinking this is a “forever” levy. It is not that kind of permanent but rather, it is a 5-year investment towards helping maintain the “permanent” structures and facilities of the Sidney City Schools district.

These monies will also cover items like buses and computers but it will NOT be used for wages or salaries of any kind.

The needs here are real and I have been lamenting the expiration of this resource since before I ran for the Board. While I was the Business Operations Manager I saw what our future held for the buildings; deteriorating water lines in 60 year old buildings, tuck pointing/brick sealing to stop mold and the degradation of the buildings, and on and on. As many of you know, the older the building, the more it takes to maintain it.

We have great OLD buildings that have been well maintained over the years but they are needing bigger chunks of money to keep up with what we are asking of them. Maintaining these well preserved old buildings at this time and in this economy seems to us to be a better plan than trying to build some new super facility, as nice as it would be to have said new facility.

Over the last 6 years, we have been robbing Peter to pay Paul; shifting monies from the General Fund to cover shortages from the PI fund. While the District has been very good at trimming spending and keeping expenses in check, we are effectively shortening the life expectancy of the General Fund. With State funding being an erratic dynamic, we constantly battle to keep the budget under our thumbs.

Passing this levy will help make the General Fund last longer and hopefully prolong by a few years the need to renew the current operating levy. So, with that in mind, please support our request for your help when you go to the polls.

Bill Ankney

President

Sidney City Schools Board of Education