Cape district eyes May referendum

After voters defeated a March 26 Cape district referendum, school officials rebounded quickly by scheduling a Thursday, April 11 meeting with a possible vote on a May referendum on the agenda.

In March, district officials had requested an increase to the capital tax rate to purchase land and erect facilities, and an increase to the operating expense tax rate, with one question for voters to answer – for or against. 

The referendum had called for a $0.21 increase to the capital projects tax rate to pay for a 102-acre property along Cedar Grove Road upon which to build a district office, bus maintenance facility and swimming complex for a total projected cost of $78.6 million, which would have cost the average homeowner about $60 per year.

The district had also requested a $0.33 operating expense tax rate increase that would have generated over $5 million annually and would have cost the average homeowner $94 a year.

Voters defeated the referendum by 661 votes, with 4,274 voting against and 3,613 voting for.

Details of the possible May referendum are not yet available, but Board President Alison Myers referred to the district’s operational needs in an April 4 text. 

“We know that the operating portion of the referendum is vital to the successful functioning of the district, so we need to discuss how to partner with our community to get the referendum passed,” Myers said.

A March 2020 operating expense referendum with a proposed $0.25 tax increase was canceled due to the pandemic. That referendum would have increased the average homeowner’s taxes by $64 a year and generated $3 million for the district.

The school board meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 11, at Love Creek Elementary. For the full agenda and meeting link, go to capehenlopenschools.com.