Baldwinsville — To the editor:

I will be voting no on the Baldwinsville School District Capital Project, not because I don’t think any of the projects are valid, but because I have some issues with the projects and the “bundling” of projects into one referendum. 

My first issue is with the transportation facility. The town of Lysander has a very limited area to market to commercial clients, and this will take one more away. If this proposal is approved, it is 30 fewer acres of commercial real estate in Lysander to market to businesses that would be paying taxes and possibly bringing more jobs into our area. I believe the residents of Radisson would lose with this location because the BCSD would not have to pay the fee that other businesses pay in the Corporate Park to Radisson. The BCSD points out that this parcel has never paid taxes, but if this passes, it never will. This is a $24 million dollar project for a parking area that a majority of our buses will still sit outside in the elements for 365 days a year. I had thought that it would be similar to the North Syracuse transportation center, where a majority of their busses sit in enclosed pull barns. From what I understand, this will not be the case.

My next issue is with the stadium lights and press box. If this proposition does not pass, will we not have a press box in the new bleachers? Does any of the infrastructure for the lights go under the new field, and would it have to be removed to do this work? Why was this not put in the previous proposal for the turf at the field? I have a difficult time understanding how we did not look at the new bleacher design and know the press box would not work beforehand. 

My last two issues are the “bundling” of various non-related projects and the timing of the vote. It reminds me of what our state and federal government politicians do. They bundle a project that people will definitely vote yes on with something they may be on the fence about. While this project “may not” raise taxes, it does not lower them either. These projects, in my opinion, should be separate proposals. Voting on a large-scale project like this should be done when a majority of the people in the district have the time and ability to vote. A February vote may miss some of our voters that have gone south for the winter, or may not get out due to weather.

I have to applaud the financial arm of the BCSD. They have done an excellent job of “replacing” expiring debt service with new projects to not raise taxes, but they have not helped lower them either. If you look over the last 10 years, our school district enrollment is down about 500 students. That is close to an elementary school full of children. Isn’t it time we expected more?

Kevin Rode

Baldwinsville