Writers oppose school bond re-vote in Village of Florida

To the editor: We are writing this letter in regards to the upcoming more than $4 million Florida school bond re-vote to be held on Monday, March 31. This bond is to be used for buildings and facilities maintenance and repairs. The vote comes less than two months before the School Board will submit its annual budget. This bond should have been combined with the yearly school budget vote. We are not in favor of approving this bond because we feel that the cost is excessive and the repairs and maintenance should have been taken care of in the regular school budget. The taxpayers and their children of the Village of Florida will be carrying this tax burden for 15 years. I have attended all three public meetings held by the School Board to present the bond issue to the public. The meetings have been poorly attended. There are usually nine people attending the meetings before an 11-member school board. (Another public meeting was scheduled for Thursday, March 27, at Golden Hill Elementary School.) If the residents of Florida continue to be apathetic about attending these meetings, they will be unable to ascertain the facts for themselves. I am convinced that if the meeting were better attended, the cost of the bond could have been further reduced or eliminated altogether. The residents of Florida should avail themselves of all the facts and figures and carefully consider their vote on what might be a 15-year tax burden. Edward and Linda Dubin Village of Florida