Revere Levy Passes on Third Try

Musketeers Bar & Grill in Richfield was filled with members of the Revere school community and pro-levy group Families and Community Together for Schools. Their voices drowned out the music and people huddled around computers and phones as election results were updated on-line or text-messaged in by other members.

A cheer went up after the unofficial result showed that, on the third try in a year, the school property tax levy had passed. “We got this one!” Dave Gifford, president of F.A.C.T.S, told supporters.

Hugs were exchanged and chants of “We are Revere!” filled the room.
The election result will garner the district more than $4.7 million a year in funds.
The Summit County Board of Election website confirmed the vote, including absentee voters,  at 3,560-3,019, or about 54 percent in favor of the ballot measure. 

The 10-year, 4.83 mill emergency operating levy will raise about $4,763,000 a year for the district.

Members of F.A.C.T.S. gathered to watch the results come in from other members, who waited at polling locations and sent back results by text message as  the county Board of Elections compiled the numbers for its website.

“We do support [the schools] and this reflects what the real opinion is,” Gifford said.
The organization Gifford leads, F.A.C.T.S., was formed after the November levy issue failed.

If the levy had failed again, it was already set to reappear on the August ballot.

That's no longer necessary.

Voter Mark Niemi, who was for the levy, said he thinks Revere is an excellent school district. After studying the facts, Niemi, who identified himself as a businessman, said the schools needed the money.

“I think the Revere school district has made an extremely strong case,” Niemi said.

Revere had made contingency plans to lay off 34 teachers and eight members of the transportation department next school year if the levy failed, which could have resulted in larger class sizes and longer busing schedules.

Revere Superintendent Randy Boroff called the election result “A great evening for the Revere school district.

“I think the community did a fabulous job and supported the school district,” he said. “And in turn, we’re going to continue doing good things.”

In the weeks leading up to the election, hundreds of pro-levy signs were posted throughout the community and groups for and against the tax increase paid for advertisements in local publications and sent out mailings asserting their side of the story.

The anti-levy group Citizens for Responsible School Administration has opposed the district’s financial spending and has urged voters to reject any levy effort until new school board members can be elected in November.

Larry Chlebina, treasurer of the group, said he hopes the district can now approve a three-year contract with teachers that included no salary increases and increased health care costs. The contract was previously voted down by the school board because the district would be running a deficit later in the contract due to state budget cuts and the uncertainty of the levy outcome.

Chlebina said he hopes the district can maintain its “excellent” rating from the state, but he said that how the district got there was up for debate.

Voter Charles Wilson, who has been against all three levy initiatives, objected to the number of school administrators and how much they were paid, but not the teachers’ salaries. He said he wants a new board in the November election.

“I don’t think they’re properly managing their financial affairs,” Wilson said.
The seats of school board members Bill Hoover, Mario Bonacci and Joe Forcina are up for public vote later this year.

Hoover, president of the board, thanked voters and said, “This is a community effort and we’re grateful for the support.”

When asked about November’s election, he declined to comment, saying, “It’s not time to worry about re-election. We’ve got work to do right now.”