By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
The Galion Levy Committee met Tuesday night to discuss how best to engage the community before the upcoming November election. This will be the latest in a string of attempts by the district to pass a levy that it so desperately need. In preparation for that, the committee mulled over options for conveying to the community what they need and why they need it.
“I think they are real, real important. It gets the community to come out and talk to us, give us their ideas and their views on it,” School board President Dennis Long said. “Without their concepts, we’re kind of working in a vacuum. It’s just to get more information from our side and from their side, to blend it and to understand more where we need to go with this.”
The meeting began with George McElligott discussing options for signage to post around town in the lead up to the election. Joe Kleinknecht of the Galion Chamber was also present, as they will be resurrecting flags from an older campaign that will also be displayed in the community. The verbiage from the old signs will be borrowed for the new, “Restore the Roar.” This is being used, somewhat unofficially, as a campaign slogan to express the committee’s opinion that this is not just for the school, but impacts the community as well.
There will be many forums of interaction throughout the fall, as the district encourages the electorate to seek information about the levy and the reasons why it is so critical. A webpage is in the works for those wishing to see not only what the district is hoping to accomplish with the levy, but the work they are doing in the present and its value. They are compiling data about how the proposed funds will be spent and where.
Before home football games there will be tailgates at Heise Park, beginning at 5:00, where community members can gather to bring food and games. Everyone is encouraged to attend and in addition to whatever food is brought, the Free Methodist Church, in partnership with Phil’s Deli, will be giving away 1,000 hot dogs.
When asked after the meeting what would happen if the levy failed again, Long admitted, “I don’t know where else we can cut.”
The committee is working very hard to do everything it can to engage the community ahead of this election. The emphasis at Tuesday’s meeting was on spreading accurate information, outlining both the work that the district is doing, and the importance of this levy for the district to continue this work.