Mountainburg voters to weigh in on proposed millage increase

MOUNTAINBURG -- The School District plans to build an arena and make other facility improvements if voters approve a tax increase next week.

The district is proposing to increase its millage rate from 39.1 to 44 mills in Tuesday's election. Early voting is underway.

This increased millage rate would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $98 in taxes each year should it pass. A mill is one-tenth of a cent, with each mill producing $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed valuation. Counties assess real property at 20% of its appraised value, with that number being multiplied by the millage rate to determine taxes.

The total rate proposed includes the statewide uniform tax rate of 25 mills for general maintenance and operation, 14.1 mills for debt service previously voted as a continuing levy pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness, and 4.9 new debt service mills, according to a sample ballot.

These combined debt service mills would be a continuing tax until the retirement of proposed bonds, which would be issued in the principal amount of $10.31 million and mature over 30 years to refund the district's outstanding bonded indebtedness and make improvements to the district.

The most notable of these projects would be the construction and equipping of an all-purpose arena at Mountainburg High School. District Superintendent Debbie Atwell said the facility would be about 21,000 square feet and include a gymnasium that seats 1,000 people, a performance stage and a room for the district's band program.

Atwell said the district's current gymnasium was built in 1975, has a seating capacity of about 650 and lacks air conditioning. The district previously looked at what it could do to expand this facility.

"The cost to expand the gym would be pretty high, and we wouldn't gain that much additional seating space if we did that," Atwell said.

The district would get the high school on a new sewer line that goes around the campus if the millage passes. Its current line, which runs underneath the gym, is causing the district "some pretty significant" issues, Atwell said.

The district would continue to use the current gymnasium.

The millage increase also would pay for a renovation of the middle/high school cafeteria, adding 640 square feet for food storage and refrigeration, as well as an upgraded servery, Atwell said. There would also be various improvements to the district's Old Main building, science building and agricultural lab, among other things.

"We absolutely love our campus and our facilities," Atwell said. "We love the [Works Progress Administration] era design and the traditions and the sentimental value of our campus, and it's just with any kind of aging facility, you've got to continue to maintain and improve them to extend the life of them. It's just time. As a homeowner, every so often you have to come through and take care of things that aren't fun, but they're necessary, like roofs or plumbing or fixtures or things like that."

Atwell said should voters approve the increase, construction would "hopefully" start in December and should take about 18-24 months. The district hopes the new arena would be ready by July 2023.

Patti Stroud is chairwoman of the Dragon Strong Futures Committee, a group dedicated to educating the public about the need for the millage increase. Both she and Atwell said they don't know of any organized opposition to the proposal. Stroud, however, said she understands the people who have expressed they cannot vote for it because they do not want to pay more taxes.

"We just want to educate people on the need for it," Stroud said. "Everybody has their beliefs in what they want to do, but we just felt like if people don't know, then they're just going to go out there and vote no, but if we can educate them and let them know the need, then they're going to understand why we're doing this."

The district serves about 650 students.