Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Brighton voters may be selecting a new set of funding for the district in November.

During Monday’s meeting, the School Board explored two different options for funding capital projects for the district. A capital improvement plan was discussed during a previous meeting. A facilities survey, which gives officials a better idea of the needs and wants in the district, was also recently sent out and nearly 1,000 responses have been received.

The funding for such projects typically come from millages, which are voted on by those who will pay them and need to be approved after a set number of years.

Sinking funds are voted millage rates. They have a quicker turnaround than voted bonds and have a set time period they are in effect. The millage rate can’t be more than 3 mills and cannot last longer than 10 years. Funding comes annually, but larger projects would need to be saved up for.

For a voted bond, voters are selecting a “not to exceed” amount when casting their ballots as opposed to voting for the millage rate.

Neither can be used for repairs, maintenance or salaries. The language on the ballot for either option is important. Only items listed on the ballot can be paid for using the funds.

Superintendent Dr. Matthew Outlaw said taxes will go down in the community regardless of what option is selected. 7.19 was the millage rate that was approved by voters in 2012 and 2019. It is expected to drop to 2.92 mills in December of this year.

No dollar amount was set by the board. A decision on which direction they want to take would need to be made between June and July to begin the application process ahead of the November 2025 election.

A continued discussion on the funding options, along with results from the survey, are expected to be included in the Apr. 28 meeting.

(photo credit: BAS via YouTube)