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School, library millage talk raises many questions

Ouch … We bet they didn’t see that coming.

So the thinking must have been around town this week regarding library officials informing county commissioners of the need for a millage request next spring.

If timing is everything, then this one is terrible, as it now places Alpena Public Schools officials in a quandary as to how they will proceed — or not — on their own millage needs. School officials also have been considering the options of seeking millage dollars in the spring and, while they have held many public meetings to inform residents of their needs, and to gather input, no final decision has yet been made.

Should both millage requests advance to the spring and appear side-by-side, it would leave residents with difficult questions.

What are the realistic chances of both being approved?

What group has the most supporters, and thus might expect more support at the polls?

How many of those voters, then, would also support the other entity?

Will there be more of an organized effort against the millages if there are two requests at the same time?

What is the risk of waiting until later in the year to seek voter approval?

Is it realistic to think the the tax base in the region can support two requests of this magnitude, on top of others that recently were approved, such as the jail millage?

Questions, questions, questions.

The school district’s announcement weeks ago already created much discussion in the community. Wednesday’s announcement by library officials adds even more spice to the debate.

Who knows how many requests there will be in 2019, or when those requests will appear before voters.

Proponents of any request are going to have to ensure they’ve done their homework and are well prepared to answer questions. With this much buzz already, it only will grow louder as we draw closer to any election.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)

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