Hannibal Voters Say No To No Cost Bond Issue

by Contributor | November 5, 2008 12:16 am

It was close, but voters in Hannibal turned down a construction project that the district said would cost them exactly zero.

The $26.9 million capital project failed, 455-424.

“I am really disappointed in the outcome of the vote,” Superintendent Michael DiFabio said. “We tried to present the information as clearly as we could for months to make sure that our voters had all of the information they needed to support this project with confidence. It was very disappointing to see it defeated.”

The district worked for approximately two years to develop the project, using $1,298,070 in Expanding our Children’s Education and Learning (EXCEL) aid that was awarded to the district during the 2006-07 state funding cycle. Coupled with a 98 percent reimbursement rate on capital projects, the project would have been delivered with no local cost, according to the district.

DiFabio said many of the items on the project list cannot be put off and the district will look to find ways to get those items done.  “Unfortunately, it seems that the taxpayers will now have to share in the expense of those items,” he said.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/fulton/hannibal-voters-say-no-to-no-cost-bond-issue/

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