321 votes cast in district election
By Andrew Harris
By only 17 votes, Wellsville School District voters made a rare NO vote when asked for $1.1 million more dollars to complete an athletic complex upgrade. The project had originally been approved by voters for $2.2 million but between the time of that vote and actually contracting with builders, costs soared according to district officials:
The vote tally was, Proposition 1: Athletic Pavilion Not Passed (152 Yes, 169 No)
Absentee votes were split 31-31.
After the votes were read, the school administrators said the original $2.1 million has been approved, and now it’s time to see what came be built for that amount.
They also said demolition costs have to be factored as well as the costs of setting up for a new facility.
This week, Steve LaChance, a prominent local resident, alumni, coach, referree, and sports fan penned an letter to the editor in opposition to the increase. Considering the history of school district votes, this rare no vote indicates that LaChance wasn’t alone in misgivings.
Read that opinion and the districts statement on the project below: