Patrons of the CAM Community School District will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on extending and increasing the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL). The levy can be used for a number of expenditures including construction of buildings, purchasing property, buses and technology equipment, and energy conservation expenditures. The levy cannot be used for staff salaries or supplies – those expenditures must come from a school district’s General Fund.

The district currently has a voter approved PPEL in the amount of .67 cent per $1000 of property valuation. The district is asking for a .67-cent increase, to $1.34 per $1000 of property valuation. District officials say they plan to use the funds to improve and maintain their current facilities, purchase school buses and purchase technology for students and staff.

CAM has a capital projects plan that includes many updates to their current facilities. Along with the statewide one-cent sales tax money (SAVE) the District uses PPEL funds to pay for those projects. School officials say the CAM school district is fortunate to have one of the lowest property tax rates in the state, ranking 327 out of 336 school district in FY 2014. Regardless, officials say they do not take lightly asking voters for an increase in the PPEL levy, especially in these economic times. However, they feel as a district that having adequate and appropriate facilities, transportation and technology are in the best interests of our students and strike the best balance between the needs of our students and taxpayers.

The polling center for CAM patrons living in the Grant, Franklin, Benton, or Lincoln Township in Cass County , in Adair County or Audubon County, will be held at the Anita Community Center. Voters’ residing in Union, Bear Grove, Noble, or Edna Townships in Cass or Adams County will vote at the Cumberland Community Building. Voter’s residing in that portion of the CAM Community School District residing in Massena or Victoria Township in Cass County or in Adams County will vote at the Massena Public Library. The Polls will open at noon Tuesday and close at 8:00 p.m.

The results of the vote will be canvassed by the Cass County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, beginning at 1-p.m.

For information on how the increase would affect property taxes in the district, go to: http://www.camcougars.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/569fe8e089a0d/Tax%20Impact%20for%202016%20PPEL%20Vote%20%281%29.pdf