Letter to the Editor: WISD Millage Ask is a Money Grab

by Mark Naess

The Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) has no budget, no actual plan for the funds requested through the new millage on which we’ll vote in Nov. What the WISD has given voters in this: “Give us $25 Million a year and we’ll do…..something with it…..oh yeah, something related to career training for students.” 

WISD officials say they’ve lost some grants…..and imply that is why they need the money. Which grants, how much were the grants, what were WISD officials doing with the “lost” grants? WISD officials know Ann Arbor liberals will assume the lost grants are Trump cuts, but were they?

Finally, WISD officials have told us $11 million in existing services will be unfunded without this new millage–should be pretty easy to outline what those current services are and when the funding will be lost, right? And the $25 million to be raised annually with the millage is not equal to the $11 million which will purportedly unfunded. 

And how many of the services they envision—not services they “propose,” because WISD officials haven’t actually proposed a single specific service be more long-term lucrative sinecures for their friends and family members?

Where is the proof that these services funded by the new millage are not already provided in the County by other entities, such as the community college? 

Just asking…….for a teeny little bit of fact…….before I sign off on $25 million a year for 10 years, $182 per year in new tax for a $200,000 home.

(Oh, and why are they forcing the entire county to pay for an election for their millage?) 

So scummy, it’s a money grab.