VB School Board decides not to hold millage election May 3

The May 3 election has been cancelled.
The only question on the ballot was to be the proposed renewal of the Van Buren Public Schools’ 18-mills Non-Homestead Property Tax renewal.
The school board met in special session on Feb. 10 to rescind the resolution passed Jan. 11 that set the election. That was the only action item on the agenda.
In the background information on that agenda item, board president Brent Mikulski said, “We have had requests from local municipalities to delay this ballot action until March 2017.
“Also, with the passage of PA 269, the limited amount of time allowed to inform the community, and most recently court action being waged against this legislation, we feel it would be prudent to delay this non-homestead millage election until a definitive resolution has been addressed by the legislature and/or the courts on PA 269.”
However, the resolution the board unanimously passed rescinding the millage election said, “… the responsible election official for the School District has requested that the School District utilize a different election date given the large number of election responsibilities during a presidential election year … and it would be in the best interests of the School District…”
The resolution authorizes the board secretary to provide appropriate notice of the cancelling of the election to all necessary officials, including city and county clerks.
The sprawling Van Buren Public Schools district is in five municipalities: City of Belleville and Van Buren Township, and parts of Sumpter, Canton, and Ypsilanti townships.
Van Buren Township Clerk Leon Wright said the election would have cost the school district about $50,000 to hold, since the district would have to reimburse all the municipalities for their elections.
Mikulski said the school district was informed by the VBT supervisor and clerk that holding this election would be a costly endeavor.
The motion to pass the resolution to rescind the election was made by Trustee Sherry Frazier, seconded by Trustee Allison Bennett and passed unanimously by the board. Secretary Kevin English was absent. Also, School Supt. Michael Van Tassel was absent.
An overflow crowd was present in the administration building for the meeting and members of the audience said, among the reasons stated to cancel the election, the board knew the majority of voters would not approve anything this board and this administration proposed at this time.