Oswego Capital Project Vote Set March 6

by Steve Yablonski | March 4, 2018 11:21 pm

OSWEGO – Taxpayers in the Oswego City School District will go to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of a proposed multi-million capital project aimed at refurbishing the district’s aging schools and athletic fields.

The projected cost of the plan is $60,180,000.

It has been in the works for about 10 years, according to Superintendent Dr. Dean Goewey. The district’s recent responsible budgets and reductions have helped make this project possible now, he said at a public hearing last month.

He said he refers to the proposal as the “$37.87 project,” because that is what it would cost the owner of a $100,000 home.

State building aid is expected to pay for 63.4 percent of the work. Around 26 percent will be funded by retiring debt. And, the district will use $4 million from a reserve funded previously established for this purpose.

Local funds to be applied total $4,000,000.

The estimated average local share per year would be $547,577. And the impact per $1,000 full value is anticipated to be 38 cents. The impact on the tax levy is estimated at 2.14 percent.

The 15-year project will ensure the next generation of Oswego students has access to safe, up-to-code learning environments, the superintendent said.

The project will be done in four phases, with groundbreaking in 2019.

Every five years, New York State schools are required to go through a state mandated building condition survey.

During the last survey, more than $41 million worth of work was identified across the district. During the next five years, it must be addressed in some form.

If Tuesday’s referendum fails, the district would still be required to do $41 million in repairs to repair its buildings.

That work would include roof repairs, installation of carbon monoxide detectors, lead removal and more.

Project Financials (includes athletics)

• OHS – $23,250,000
• OMS – $12,609,000
• FLS – $12,260,000
• Minetto – $3,050,000
• CER – $1,073,000
• KPS – $3,969,000
• FPS – $3,969,000

Following voter approval, the proposal would be sent to the State Education Department and a reply would likely come sometime around October.

The work would be done over two summers in 2019 and 2020.

The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday.

District One will vote at the Scriba Fire Station; District Two will vote at the former Ed Center; District Three will vote at Elim Grace Church and District Four will vote at the Oswego Town Hall.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/oswego-capital-project-vote-set-march-6/

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