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School residents say no to facilities
Published 11:24am Wednesday, November 7, 2012Taxpayers finally said “no” to another tax increase when they voted down the Outdoor Facilities Bond Referendum Tuesday 54 to 46 percent.
Fergus Falls residents have recently had to accept additional taxes to pay for the community arena, new police station and courthouse. New outdoor facilities at the schools might have been the “one more thing” residents were not willing to pay for.
“I think not everybody came to a presentation or listened to the radio or watched the TV shows or read the mailing,” said Ness. “Some people didn’t know about the project and just read on the ballot they would be voting for a tax increase so they voted ‘no,’”
From here, the school board will begin new discussions about how to approach the issues with the outdoor facilities. The grandstand on the home side of the football field will need to be replaced within the next several years no matter what because of safety concerns, he said.
“At the next school board meeting, we will see what the board wants to do,” Ness said. “We don’t have a ‘plan B’ yet, but we will have to sit down and talk about the issues.”
A new plan would begin with a lot of community input. Residents would be asked what they think should be done and how much they would be willing to pay. Any new plan would be based off of what would be gathered from the community, he said.
Although the referendum was voted down, Ness said he wasn’t too disapointed by the number of people who came out to vote “yes.”
“Getting 46 percent was pretty impressive,” Ness said. “That means we really got the word out.”
The people have spoken. Listen to them. Planning a new tactic right now is not prudent.
I think enough people understood what was being asked of them and they ultimately want a break from their taxes if it is even possible. Maybe the school should take baby steps on fixing what is broken and not try to do all of it at once.
Is the purpose, main mission, of superintendent Ness to perpetually bring before the school board new ways to spend money on newer facilities and programs, thereby encumbering the incomes of working families?
It would seem so, from his statements which appear to presume that this defeat means only that he will seek other means and “messages” to coercethe voters to give him what he wants.
Apparently the quota for criticizing the money grabbing
mmachine of Superintendent Ness has been succeeded, as I have written two message here which have not been posted.
Ahh, success. The rest of my message to superintendent Ness is that we are tiring of his relentless attempts to further encumber taxpayers with his efforts to create an
utopian school facility. Perhaps Ness should give us all a break for a few months or years. We already have huge tax increases coming from 0bama and Mark Dayton.
Camillabill, this article has nothing to do with Obama or Dayton (and your taxes have actually gone down) but you just can’t let a bad thing go. One would have thought that you would learn at least a small lesson from recent events.
Ness’s messaging seems a bit confused here — it’s sort of hard to say that getting 46% of the vote was the result of doing a good job of getting the word out when earlier in the story a supposed lack of knowledge was to blame for the measure’s defeat.
I’m no expert on the psychology of Fergus Falls residents, but past events make it rather clear that people do like to have a say in how things are done, and grand ideas up front with little room for community pushback are, at best, contemptuously tolerated, and at worst, soundly rejected. The “plan B” stated here — going back to the community for input — seems as good as any place to start.
I believe we all understood exactly what was being asked of us, and I believe we should pay off one boondoggle before starting another one. That is how it works in the real world, pay what you owe, and then see if you want to ask for another loan. You seem to forget it is our money, and it looks like times are going to get harder in this country, we don’t need to be taken by the school district too.
How about tearing down the old grandstand and have everyone bring their own lawn chairs. Vendors can show up w/ little food carts and tote those around as well. If the football, soccer and track teams are such a big money maker, have local businesses sponsor these teams and pay to have the new stadium and such built. Then give them jerseys w/ sponsorship patches like NASCAR and Formula 1 have. OTP Stadium has such a nice ring to it. The normal people don’t have the money to be throwing around for such a trivial thing like a football/sports complex. Any money should be put into the education of the kids and teacher salaries, not sports.
Here is a little something the people pushing for a new sports facilities might try next time….how about a little honesty.
I’m not the only one in Fergus Falls who still has a bad taste in my mouth over the bull we were fed over the new school, that taste was still extant when we were fed some more about the ice palace, now the same people approach with more of the same and wonder why the people reject it.
The lack of trust didn’t just appear overnight. It has been instilled in the citizenry over a period of years by people who have proved to be untrustworthy and remain so.
Mark my words, nothing will change. The powers that be will put some new lipstick on the same old pig and the same people will hop on board as if it were the greatest thing since indoor plumbing. Jerry Ness will be given guest editorials in the journal and several appearances on the local radio station where the peanut gallery will chime in unison “isn’t that wonderful”.
Letting people vote isn’t democracy if their choice is “do you want to spend 3 million or 3.2 million on a wasteful project so a few people can sit in comfort while they watch a few other people run around in circles” and then leave the voting booth to drive on some of the most primitive and neglected roads in the state.
I agree. I think a lot of people are ticked off about how the ice arena played out. Just because you have a bid that says it is going to cost a certain amount does not mean it will stay at that amount. Most likely the amount will increase. And there seemed to be some shady dealings with who was given some subcontracts as well, so I believe a lot of voters just don’t trust the school board and the city council.
“i believe a lot of voters just don’t trust the school board and the city council”
Gee, do you think?
I know I’m stating the obvious, but there are still those on the school board and city council who believe we all should bend at their beck and call. Plus if you talk to students, they too have been brain washed into believing that if they want something then they better get it. I think the school needs to slow their roll on this one. Put forth something to fix the major problem areas, like the stadium, tennis courts and the softball fields. After that is done and paid for, then ask to do all the rearranging.