05/09/2007

Voters reject proposal for athletic complex

BY SHERI McWHIRTER

smcwhirter@record-eagle.com

PETOSKEY — Voters in Petoskey overwhelmingly defeated a multi-million dollar proposal to build and operate a new school athletic complex.

Two related millage requests on Tuesday's ballot failed by an approximate margin of 60 percent to 40 percent, said John Scholten, school superintendent in Petoskey.

"I think the need is definitely there, but we approached this by surveying the public,” he said. "So we put it up to the voters. Right now, it's pretty clear the voters are not prepared for this project.”

Elise Harrington and her husband own Alan's Northside Restaurant in Petoskey, where she said virtually all the customers buzzed on Tuesday about the local school millage requests for the athletic complex. The buzz was not good, she said.

"We only heard one person who said they would vote for it. I don't know if they're all expecting it to fail, but I think they want it to,” Harrington said.

School officials asked voters for $15 million in new athletic facilities, plus hundreds of thousands more each year to maintain and operate them.

The failed proposals sought a combined 0.75 mill increase for Petoskey Public Schools, with the new taxes anticipated to raise nearly $1 million a year to build and operate a new football stadium, track and soccer complex on land adjacent to the high school campus. The two proposals were not bound together, but supported each other, said district business manager Kent Cartwright.

The proposals included a 0.5-mill increase over 20 years to finance construction and a 0.25-mill increase over seven years to operate and maintain the complex. The taxes would have cost an additional 75 cents for every $1,000 of a property's taxable value.

The proposed athletic complex was meant to replace the Curtis Field football stadium, which was built in 1927, as well as provide a now-lacking district soccer facility. Soccer teams currently play at a rented off-campus youth soccer complex, said athletic director Gary Hice.

Registered voter Cal Harris of Petoskey said that as a retired teacher, he generally supports school funding proposals. This time, though, he had some concerns.

"I'm not so much concerned with how much money this would cost me, but where we're spending this money in education,” he said.

With state funding cuts expected to cause academic and other program cuts in schools across the region and state, Harris said perhaps athletics is not where to sink that much cash. However, he said his children participated in sports and he values the role of athletics in a quality education.

"I support athletics, but I see what else is needed in education. I honestly don't know how I'm going to vote until I get there,” Harris said Tuesday afternoon.