ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I resolutely urge all eligible citizens in the Hopkins school district to vote in the Tuesday, May 5, special election via absentee ballot. Yes, by mail.

I make this plea on behalf of public health because of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. We have been told we should shelter at home to avoid the extremely contagious and deadly disease. Unfortunately, if voters congregate at the polls and violate the six-foot space rule, which they undoubtedly will, the increased health risk will be unacceptable.

I hope the disaster that was the Wisconsin primary doesn’t rear its ugly head again. Already, reports indicate 19 people who went to the polls in our sister state earlier this month have come down with the virus.

Hopkins Public Schools’ special election May 5 will be on a renewal for the site sinking fund, which will affect voters in Hopkins, Watson and Dorr townships. I would rather have had Hopkins school officials reschedule the election for the Aug. 4 primary and mount a public relations campaign to exhort voting by mail. But what of that?

Michigan voters in November 2018 passed by an overwhelming margin, 66.9% positive, a proposal to allow people to vote by absentee ballot without having to provide an excuse that sometimes rivals that of a teen-ager who skips school. The wisdom of more than two-thirds of the voters should be taken seriously into account.

With the system of absentee voting in place, Michigan residents should be provided the opportunity as much as possible to vote by mail and avoid the public health hazards of lining up at the polls.

The Hopkins Public Schools will ask local voters Tuesday, May 5, for a renewal of a 1.6-mill sinking fund levy for 10 years.

School officials explained that a sinking fund is much like a savings account in which the district can deposit voter approved money so it can pay cash for projects or repairs instead of having to borrow. The idea is to provide a more cost-effective way than borrowing or bonding, thereby eliminating interest and legal fees.

An independent audit of the sinking fund is conducted annually.

Sinking fund levies are permissible for up to five mills and 10 years. They can be used to purchase real estate, for construction projects and repairs, but not for maintenance.

The Hopkins Public Schools plan to use the fund to pay for asphalt repair or replacement, roof repair or replacement, mechanical unit replacement, athletic field refurbishment, interior and exterior lighting, safety and security improvements, and classroom restricting enhancements.

The 1.6-mill levy is expected to generate about $490,000 for the next five years.