2007 EXCEL Referendum

To help answer your questions concerning the March 6 vote:

• Project overview - learn what is proposed and why

• Voting details - when and where

• Questions and answers - specific questions and answers to better help understand the project

• Project costs - a detailed breakdown of the specific projects and their costs

• Traffic changes - one project helps alleviate traffic safety issues at East Hill

March 6 vote to address facility needs
State aid would enable repairs without raising local property taxes

If you make a list of everything you need to do to your home over the next 10 years, it might include replacing those 20-year shingles you put on the roof 15 years ago, replacing that old furnace in the basement, repaving the driveway, installing new windows, painting, foundation work—in no time, you would have a long list of projects that would have to be tackled, some sooner than others.

Like your home, schools have a long list of pending repairs and maintenance. No school structure is permanent. No piece of school equipment lasts forever. Over time, the buildings in our school district need repairs and improvements.

At this time, the Canajoharie Central School District has an opportunity to take care of its needed repairs and improvements using special State funds called EXCEL. These funds supplant the local share of these projects, thus eliminating any additional burden on the local taxpayer.

“EXCEL is an effort on the part of the New York State Legislature to assist districts in addressing building needs that those districts could not otherwise tackle on their own,” explained Canajoharie District Superintendent Richard Rose. “We have made a list of things we need to do to our buildings and property in the future. EXCEL funds afford us a unique opportunity to repair and improve our facilities without affecting local property taxes.”

Residents may wonder why we are considering these projects when we have built and renovated our facilities over the last 10 years. Our older buildings are showing their age. They need structural repairs, energy efficient equipment and improved security. The Nellis Pool is suffering from humidity seeping into the walls. Heating pipes have filled with mineral deposits. Even our newest buildings will need repairs in the future. EXCEL enables us to accomplish the work now, rather than wait until the future when a significant portion will be borne by the local taxpayer.

“EXCEL is not a license to spend money unnecessarily,” added Mr. Rose. “We have an obligation to spend wisely. This is not a ‘wish list’; this is a ‘needs list’. The real question that faces our voters is not whether the work will need to be done, but when we will do it. If we do it now, we can take advantage of the EXCEL funding.”

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