A long and somewhat contentious City Council meeting ended with a bittersweet farewell to the City Hall intern from France, Marie Marcone. To see the YouTube video her farewell speech (click continue reading.) Click here for a short link to the segment of the 12-7-15 meeting of the Albion City Council courtesy of their YouTube channel. Marie also helped to facilitate a “Show Your Best” trade show at Albion Community School and proposed new “Welcome to Albion” signs.
An earlier segment of this same Albion City Council meeting covered a vote by the City Council “disapproving” of the proposed annexation with Marshall Public Schools. The exact wording of the resolution is below. The reasoning behind the votes against the resolution are explained by Albion City Councilman Andrew French in a short clip of the official City Council Youtube at minute 1:24 (skips hour and half of the video but let the video load before playing). “in fact, these five questions (of the resolution) do not address the annexation at all.””
ALBION CITY COUNCIL EXPLAINS VOTE ON ANNEXATION
The Albion City Council voted to adopt a resolution at their regular meeting on December 8, 2015, that disapproves the annexation of Albion Public Schools by Marshall Public Schools in the absence of specific guarantees, assurances, and answers. The council resolution expressed the Council’s strong concern regarding the potential educational, economic, and social implications of annexation for the future of the community.
The Council resolution recognized that confronting the district’s present educational and financial challenges demands genuine community consensus based on open communication, transparent processes, and creative leadership. The Council raised the following concerns and questions:
(1) The city and public will receive a clear plan detailing how existing loans and debt will be repaid.
(2) The city and public will have sufficient time to review the Section 22g District/ISD Consolidation Grant application before it is submitted.
(3) The city and public will receive details regarding the Albion Public Schools operation plan for the remaining portion of the academic year.
(4) The city and public will be given a minimum estimate for how long Marshall Public Schools would operate a school in Albion.
(5) The city and public will receive a detailed plan addressing the “consolidation of services” option that preserves Albion Public Schools as an entity.
The Resolution passed on a 4-3 vote, with Mayor Joe Domingo, Council Members, Garrett Brown, Rebecca Decker, and Lenn Reid voting in favor. Council Members Maurice Barnes, Cheryl Krause, and Andrew French voted in opposition.
City of Albion
RESOLUTION #2015-34
Resolution Disapproving the Proposed Annexation of Albion Public Schools by Marshall Public Schools in the Absence of Specific Guarantees, Assurances, and Answers
Background and Purpose: The Albion Public Schools Board Of Education on December I, 2015 adopted a resolution in support of an annexation of its territory by the Marshall Public Schools. Albion Public Schools is prohibited from adopting a deficit budget or operating in deficit pursuant to state law, and is therefore pursuing annexation in hopes of ensuring that some form of public education remains accessible within its territory given the enrollment declines and financial stress that threaten its viability. The Albion City Council recognizes this as a decisive moment in the life of our community. The Council wishes to express its strong concern regarding the potential educational, economic, and social implications of annexation for the future of the community that it represents, and its opposition to annexation in the absence of specific guarantees, assurances, and answers.
Council Member Brown moved, supported by Council Member Decker, to approve the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the Albion City Council recognizes that access to a quality education is an essential component of a sustainable and competitive community for residents and businesses; and
WHEREAS, the Michigan State Treasurer has determined that Albion Public Schools is subject to rapidly deteriorating financial circumstances likely to result in recurring operating deficits or financial stress; and
WHEREAS, in search of a solution, the Albion Public Schools Board of Education by resolution has initiated a process that could result in the annexation of its district by Marshall Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, Albion Public Schools is in the midst of significant and lasting transformation that will forever shape not only the educational future of our children, but the viability of the city in which they live; and
WHEREAS, the pursuit of the Section 22g District/lSD Consolidation Grant, a $5 million competitive state grant for the reimbursement of transition costs associated with the complete consolidation or annexation of districts or intermediate districts, and its December 22, 2015 deadline have unnecessarily hindered discussion of other feasible options beyond annexation; and
WHEREAS, the tax implications for residents and businesses regarding the payment of Albion Public Schools’ debt-potentially in excess of $2 million-and the revenue implications for the Albion District Library remain sources of great confusion and concern; and
WHEREAS, annexation by Marshall Public Schools would will permanently remove “local control” and the responsive, neighborhood-level accountability that a locally elected school board represents; and
WHEREAS, there are at present many unanswered questions and there needs to be a thorough review to provide the community with a firm understanding of all of the implications to our students, to our district, our taxpayers, and to our community; and
WHEREAS, confronting the district’s present educational and financial challenges demands genuine community consensus based on open communication, transparent processes, and creative leadership.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Albion City Council hereby disapproves the proposed annexation of Albion Public Schools by Marshall Public Schools in the absence of the following specific guarantees, assurances, and answers from the Albion Public Schools and Marshall Public Schools:
(1) The city and public will receive a clear plan detailing how existing loans and debt will be repaid.
(2) The city and public will have sufficient time to review the Section 22g District/lSD Consolidation Grant application before it is submitted.
(3) The city and public will receive details regarding the Albion Public Schools operation plan for the remaining portion of the academic year.
(4) The city and public will be given a minimum estimate for how long Marshall Public Schools would operate a school in Albion.
(5) The city and public will receive a detailed plan addressing the “consolidation of services” option that preserves Albion Public Schools as an entity.
I hereby certify that the above resolution was adopted on December 7, 2015 in a regular session of the Albion City Council, and this is a true copy of that resolution.
Ayes 4
Nays 3 (Barnes, Krause, French)
Absent 0
Jill Domingo, Albion City clerk Date: December 7, 2015
To see the video of this meeting – go to the City of Albion YouTube channel and see the meeting from December 7, 2015