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inform. educate. connect.
38002.com
Arlington & Lakeland’s Community Newspaper
April 2015
theview
theview
DECISION TIME
Lakeland Voters to Decide on School Bond
The View 38002’s Special Op/Ed Presents Two Opposing Views on Issue
By Terry Louderback
Residents of the City of
Lakeland have been
divided on the question of
building a joint middle
and high school--and its
financing through a $0.55
property tax increase and
bond issue--for the past
eight months. Sometimes
civil, and occasionally
heated, discussions have
raged on social media and
in public meetings on the
topics, pitting neighbor
against neighbor and
leading to a crop of yard
signs
encouraging
residents to “Vote Yes for
Lakeland" and “Vote No
Bond.”
So now it is up to the
voters of Lakeland to
decide. With 13 days of
early voting (March 27April 11) before election
day on April 16, voter
turnout could see a record
high. As part of our
mission to inform,
educate, and connect our
community, we contacted
the Lakeland School
Board and the Concerned
Citizens of Lakeland.
We invited each group to
submit a 500 word
editorial to explain to our
r ead ers wh y the y
should—or shouldn't—
vote in favor of the bond
issue.
Each essay is presented
on page 4 in its entirety.
The content was not
edited and reflects the
opinion of the author, not
The View 38002.
Background to a Vote
After plans for a new
school were first revealed
in April 2014, the
Lakeland
School
Board approved a $50
million, five year Capital
Improvement Plan to
build “Lakeland Prep,” a
combined middle and high
school, on July 7,
2014. On October 14,
2014, a full house was
present for the Lakeland
B o a r d
o f
Commissioner’s unanimo
us vote to approve a $0.55
special property tax solely
for the retirement of
school bond debt.
Lakeland City Manager
Jim Atkinson explained
that although the tax
increase has been
approved by the Board of
Commissioners, it is will
not yet official. “When the
[2015-2016] budget is
approved in June,”
Atkinson said. “The
property tax rate that is set
will include the $0.55
increase retroactive to
January 1, 2015.”
The
Board
of
Commissioners authorized
the issuance of up to $50
million in general
obligation school bonds at
the December 11, 2014
meeting. An attempt by
Lakeland Mayor Wyatt
Bunker to substitute a
resolution calling for a
special election on the
school bond issue
failed when it didn't
receive any support from
the Commissioners.
Bunker then abstained
from voting on the bond
issuance.
Under
Tennessee law, a public
vote on a proposition for
the issuance of general
obligation bonds is not
necessary, unless 10% of
the registered voters of the
municipality file a petition
in protest of the issuance
of bonds within 20 days of
the public notice.
According
to
information received from
the Shelby County
Election Commission, the
notice from the initial
resolution was published
o n De ce mb er 1 6 ,
2014. Lakeland had 8,272
as of December 16, 2015,
and therefore the petition
needed 827 signatures of
registered voters residing
in Lakeland to be
delivered to the City of
Lakeland within 20 days,
or by January 5, 2015. The
petition and signatures
were delivered to
Lakeland as required and
subsequently the City of
Lakeland delivered them
to the Shelby County
Election Commission on
January 6, 2015.
Continued on page 4
Upcoming April Events
(visit www.theview38002.com for full community calendar)
12
A
Taste
of
Arlington, 5:00—
7:00 pm, Food
tasting event and
Silent Auction.
16
Special Election —
City of Lakeland
Bond
Issue
Referendum. See
page ___ for voting
l oc a ti o ns a n d
hours.
25
L a k e l a n d
E duca ti on
Foundation’s First
Annual 5K, 9:00
am.
25th
Annual
Arlington in April
Craft Festival.
10:00 am—4:00
pm, Historic
Depot Square.
Planning a summer camp or VBS in 38002?
Add it to our FREE listing of Summer Activities online and in our
May print edition. Go to www.theview38002.com/summer for
more information and to submit your activity. Special in-section
advertising space is also available, call 901-848-4092 or email
[email protected].
Inside this edition...
Local Student Set to Fly in Peter
Pan, p. 9