Levy effort links future of schools, city of Salem

SALEM -- Voter approval of a 13-mill levy would be required to keep all the staff and programs in place in the Salem City Schools, Superintendent David Brobeck said.
Instead, school officials are cutting spending wherever possible and asking voters for a 7.85-mill emergency levy in November. The levy would raise about $2.3 million annually.
Brobeck said the levy campaign slogan is "Salem: Our Schools, Our City, Our Future" because the future of the city and the school district are linked. He said, for example, that the condition and quality of schools will affect the market price of homes in the district.
If voters approve the levy in November, collection would start in 2004. If voters defeat the levy, school officials will put it back on the ballot in February or May, he said.
If the levy is passed then, collections won't start until 2005, he said.
Brobeck said some residents have questioned whether school officials would seek less millage if the levy fails in November. He said in that event, the board would likely ask for more money.