School Board Keeps Tax Rate Unchanged, Considers Location For New Football Stadium
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The Mercer County Board of Education is advertising for proposals from construction managers and architects for building a new athletic stadium at Mercer County Senior High School. The stadium could cost as much as $15 million.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
In a marathon meeting last week, the Mercer County Board of Education chose to keep their tax rate unchanged and considered the location for the new football stadium.
At the school board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19, the school board opted to keep the tax rate the same as the last several years, at 71.6 cents per $100.
Due to increasing home values, the district is calculated to take in an additional $622,000 in revenue even with the same tax rate, according to figures provided by Chief Finance Officer Amber Minor.
On Tuesday, Minor presented the board with several rates, which are set by the state. Rates take into account collection rate and sheriff’s commission. Keeping the rate the same is calculated to generate $9.87 million in general fund revenue and another $2.22 million for the building fund.
Superintendent Jason Booher noted that Mercer graduates have the first year of college paid for.
“I don’t know another school system that does that,” Booher said.
He also noted that, over the past three years, the district had paid off their new buses, begun construction of the new elementary school and given the staff raises.
“We’re still able to keep the rate the same,” Booher said.
Board member Billy G. Montgomery moved to keep the rate the same, seconded by board member Cliff Prewitt. Montgomery’s motion passed unanimously.
On Tuesday, the board also considered three possible locations for the new football field.
Michael Mays, senior civil engineer with Ross Tarrant Architects, discusses three possible options. All three are located at Mercer County Senior High School: in front of the school, next to the baseball/softball complex or at the back of the school
Mays noted the location at the front of school would be the most cost effective location. It would also be the most ideal for solar orientation and home bleacher location. Fans and players would have their backs to the setting sun, Mays said.
There are three sinkholes near the site, Mays said. Moving forward, he said they would find out as much about the sinkholes as they can.
The other locations would be more expensive, needing extensive grading and utility work. Booher also noted parking is the best in front of the school.
MCSHS Principal Mike Floro asked about storage of track and field equipment.
“Where is all the track stuff going to be?” Floro asked.
Mays said the area under the bleachers would be fenced off or incorporated into the building plan. Mays also recommended temporary signage for handicap parking.
“You’ve got a lot of flexibility in this design,” Mays said.
Floro also asked what would construction do to the two roads.
Mays said they would create a construction entrance in the middle of Moberly, similar to what they did during construction of the baseball/softball complex.
Beth Bauer, the project manager at Ross Tarrant Architects said their goal is to come back in September with a project application for the Kentucky Department of Education. Bauer said they are looking at bidding out the project after six months of design work.
