Dear Walkerville Community:

Many of the smaller school districts in Michigan are challenged to provide quality classroom instruction and learning opportunities to students while maintaining excellent staff, academic support, technology, food service, transportation, and facilities.

The ongoing support of our community has allowed us to continue preparing our students well for their next steps after graduation, whether pursuing a career, attending college, serving in the military, or entering the skilled trades.

How you vote on our district’s 18 Mill Non-Homestead Property Millage Request will greatly impact our ability to effectively fund the day-to-day operating costs of our school.

Here are the facts.

• Our 18 Mill Non-Homestead Property Millage essentially asks for a renewal of the 18 mills that have been in place supporting our district as approved by voters in our community in 2013.

• This is not a property tax increase on your home.

• Michigan’s Headlee Amendment and its conditional rollbacks ensure that homeowners cannot be taxed above the current 18 mill rate.

• The 18 Mill Non-Homestead Property Tax approved by our community in 2013 is now expiring. Our request on August 4th asks you to keep this in place for the next 10 years.

• Our request DOES NOT apply to your primary residence. It only applies to second homes, business, commercial, and similar properties.

• The funds our district receives annually from the 18 Mill Non-Homestead Property Tax represent approximately $900,000, about 20-25% of our entire operating budget.

This is why I ask for your thoughtful consideration of our district’s request.

The outcome of the election will have a big impact on future budgets and decisions.

Thank you for keeping in mind the importance of the August 4th election.

Joe Conkle

Superintendent & Principal