Posted: Nov. 3, 2009 |(0) Comments

Whitefish Bay — In the midst of the worst recession in 30 years, Whitefish Bay voters provided strong support for their schools, approving two referendum questions that allow for $22.6 million in spending on maintenance and upgrades to the schools.

District Administrator James Rickabaugh was on the phone after the results were in, talking with Bray Architects about what will happen next.

"The next phase will be to do detailed work on the plans," Rickabaugh said. "We will also then look at bids and financing."

District seeks federal funds

School Board President Marie Greco said the district hopes to qualify for interest-free school construction loans available through the federal stimulus plan.

"People questioned if this was the best time to go to referendum," she said. "But there is low interest money available and contractors are looking for work."

She called it an exciting time for the children of Whitefish Bay who will benefit from the school improvements. Forty-one percent of registered voters, 3,947 in total, voted in the election.

The first referendum question, which passed by a 2,719 to 1,219 vote, provides $9 million to replace school roofs; upgrade fire alarms, heating and ventilation and electrical systems; repair brick exterior walls through tuck-pointing; and remodel bathrooms and school entrances to control access. School officials estimate that a resident with a house assessed at $350,000 would pay $122 annually for 20 years on that debt, but the district is retiring $9 million in debt and said the new debt won't increase tax bills.

Voters approved the second $13.6 million question by only 171 votes, 2,054 to 1,883. That money will bring a new cafeteria/multipurpose rooms to the two elementary schools; a new gym floor at the middle school; a new music room to the high school; and allow the remodeling of vacant space in the high school to accommodate science and pre-engineering lab space and special education classrooms. It also would pay for technology upgrades and the relocation of the middle school orchestra room from the basement to the second floor. A resident with a $350,000 home would pay $250 in additional taxes over the next 20 years for those upgrades.

Doug Armstrong, who was chairman of the YesYes group, which supported the questions, said he was proud to live in the village.

"This says something about how residents in this village value educations," he said. "I know it is a struggle to get a referendum passed and I want to pay tribute to the volunteers who worked so hard."

They canvassed door to door, held informational coffees and talked across the back fence to anyone who wanted information, Armstrong said.

"We started out with and stuck to an informational campaign," he said.

Opponent will monitor spending

Jamie Kowalski, who formed an opposition group called Concerned Whitefish Bay Voters, was disappointed in the results.

"I am surprised and disappointed for the people of Whitefish Bay," he said, noting that the closer vote on the second $13.6 million question indicated it was not as well supported by voters

Kowalski said he does not believe the annual maintenance budget has been handled well over the last 10 years and as a taxpayer will continue to take an interest in the spending in the district in the hopes of encouraging better management in the future.

"I hope the people who voted against it will be more engaged in the future," he said "If that is an outcome of the election, then that is a good thing."

Rickabaugh said voters in the village had a "good community conversation and good dialogue with the School Board."

"People approached the issues in a respectful and thoughtful way," he said.

The time frame for construction would be adjusted in order to allow the district to compete for the stimulus loans, he said, but currently the timeline calls for construction to start once school closes in June 2010 with all projects completed by August 2011.

"The architect thinks that is a very reasonable time frame," he said.