ACHTUNG: The following is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.
The accomplishment of passing a $49.7 million bond proposal for a new pool and a variety of improvements and repairs at all school district buildings was nothing short of astonishing.
Not only was it a daunting task because a new pool idea was defeated by 65% on the vote six years ago, but also because the same went down by a 52-48% count nine months ago. I and many others were made to eat crow for our doubts about passage. I was the one who said they should have gone back to the voters in November 2022, but assistant Supt. For Finance and Operations Patricia Velie pointed that doing so would have overlooked that the bond rate wouldn’t be guaranteed.
I turned out to be wrong in saying a school bond is less likely to pass in a special election than a general or primary.
Considered for your approval, the final tallies from the May 2 vote showed a 57.4% approval, slightly less than the figure I reported the night of the election. But the stats showed an increase from 48% to 57.4%, which means there was some heavy lifting done behind the scenes.
Most of the credit for that turnaround was an aggressive and positive effort by Velie and members of the citizens’ bond committee. They really did their homework in the game of public relations.
Final statistics showed the bond proposal won in every municipality in the district, and in only one precinct, in Leighton Township, was it rejected.
Data demonstrated in August 2022 that though Wayland City and Township passed the proposal, it was defeated in Dorr and Leighton, and in Hopkins Township. And school officials early in the campaign last fall had to be frustrated that they weren’t reaching the naysayers in Dorr and Leighton. They learned that inviting them to take tours of the high school and pool was like trying to get the unreligious to come to church.
The biggest winner in this election, besides the youth of this school district, was Ms. Velie, who now can ride of into the sunset of retirement with a real feeling of “mission accomplished.”
But the turnaround had to be more than that. It didn’t hurt public relations when the high school robotics team won the state championship. It didn’t hurt when the girls’ basketball team won the league title again and bowler Kadence Bottrall polished off a fine career on the lanes.
It didn’t hurt at all when sincere people such as Erin Stepek and Tonya Lyons rolled up their sleeves and did a lot gentle persuasion in getting people to care enough to cast their ballots.
It is entirely true that the only power we the people actually have is the vote.
Nine months ago a lot of people were puzzled and wary of Velie’s promise that the annual millage rate would not increase. It would remain at 8.4 mills every year, but its shelf life would be lengthened by more than 10 years.
Somehow, this message was circulated successfully throughout the district.
So the best way I can explain this remarkable election turnaround is because of a group of committed and sincere citizens who marketed the chain reaction plan aggressively and positively.
In my somewhat sordid and lengthy community journalism career, this election has to be one of the most surprising developments I’ve seen at the polls and in the mail-in ballots.
I can only salute the main players in this campaign and admit that I was wrong about what was happening.
