I was pleased to read that our mayor and town manager informed the aquatic people that the town would not take on the project. Now they want to hang the albatross (an encumbrance) around the neck of the School District.

Jerry Miles is correct about the law concerning the sale of school property -- it’s complicated. I retained a lawyer for an opinion.

Let me make this clear, I am not an attorney, and the following information is for educational purposes only. AZ R.S.15.341 requires a vote of the electors to purchase or spend proceeds from a sale of school property. The revised statute does not require the board or superintendent to have a referendum to actually sell school board property if the property belongs to the school board.

AZ R.S. 15-342, however, does state that a vote of the electors is required unless: chapter 16 is too long and complicated to explain it does appear that a vote of the electors is required. Chapter 16 states the proceeds of this sale are only to purchase other property that will be used for similar purposed as the property that was originally sold.

If the money from the sale is not used within two years after the sale, the proceeds shall be used towards payment of any outstanding bonded indebtedness; after that reduce the district’s primary tax levy.

After reading the board’s goals and focus, I am sure they are more interested in using money if they could from the land sale for academic programs, replacing items and personnel cut from the budget, and constant maintenance, repairs and replacement of equipment. The loss of student enrollment decreased our funding from the state by $630,000; there is an override of $750,000 on the November ballot.

The budget gap for 2014-15 was $707,000!