MARQUETTE — On Monday night, Marquette Area Public Schools Superintendent Zack Sedgwick released a statement on the potential consequences of the bond proposal vote recount scheduled for May 28, stating that “the district’s bond planning timeline will now be delayed.”

The bond proposal, which unofficial results indicate passed by a several-hundred vote margin on the May 5 election, will provide approximately $60 million to address facility, safety and learning-environment needs across the district.

“A community member has filed a petition requesting a recount of the results from four precincts for the purpose of ‘discrepancy between results first reported and final results unofficial,'” said Sedgwick.

The community member in question, Margaret Brumm, filed the recount request last week in response to a Facebook post made by TV6 on the night of the election which incorrectly claimed that the bond proposal had failed.

TV6’s Vice President Rick Rhoades later released a statement stating that the post had been taken down after “a few short minutes,” that it was “obviously inaccurate,” and that the reason for the mistake was “basic human error and nothing more than that.”

“The Facebook post occurred well after the election polls had closed,” said Sedgwick. “Consequently, the erroneous report could not have swayed any voters, as all votes had already been cast. In short, the recount petition is based solely on a false media report, and not on anything directly related to how the May 5 election was conducted.”

While Sedwick’s statement indicates that Brumm is covering the cost of the recount, there may be other costs to area taxpayers.

“The recount process is a legal right available under Michigan law, and the Marquette Area Public Schools will fully respect and follow that process,” said Sedgwick. “At the same time, it is important for our community to understand that this recount will delay the next steps in our bond planning and may create additional costs for the district and taxpayers.

“The May 5 unofficial countywide results showed the bond proposal was approved by a vote of 3,629 to 3,116, with 53.8% of voters supporting the proposal. We remain confident the recount will confirm the final results of the election.

“Because of the recount, the district’s original financing schedule has been disrupted. MAPS had been preparing to complete due diligence, secure a bond rating, price the bonds on June 8, and finalize closing on June 25. That timeline will need to be adjusted as the district waits for the recount process to conclude on May 28.

“This delay may also affect how the district levies taxes for the voter-approved bond. School taxes for the City of Marquette are typically levied on July 1 and collected over the summer. However, any delay in the bond sale would mean the district may need to consider placing the levy on the winter tax bill, issued December 1, to ensure we can meet our first required interest payment. We recognize this could have a financial impact on residents as they plan and budget.

“In addition, if the petitioner’s deposit does not fully cover the administrative and labor costs associated with the recount, any remaining election-related expenses may be billed to the district.”

“We will continue to keep families, staff and community members informed as this process moves forward,” concluded Sedgwick. “Thank you for your continued support of our schools and for your partnership as we work through these next steps.”

Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.