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Plusquellic asking council to approve guidelines for money collected through lease of sewer system
Published on Sunday, Oct 05, 2008
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic will ask City Council at its meeting Monday to pass an ordinance setting forth the eligibility rules for his controversial college scholarship plan, city officials announced.
In a news release issued Saturday, city spokesman Mark Williamson said the mayor would ask the council to spell out who can receive money from the Akron Scholarship Plan, which would be funded with an estimated $200 million from a lease of the city sewer system.
The proposed ordinance, which must be passed by a two-thirds vote of council, would:
• Define eligible students as those who both live in Akron and graduate from an Akron public school, or an approved private, nonprofit Akron school, such as Our Lady of the Elms, St. Vincent-St. Mary and Archbishop Hoban high schools.
• Include students living in areas of Akron served by the Woodridge, Revere, Copley-Fairlawn, Springfield and Coventry school districts, as long as they graduate from their assigned schools.
• Include students from approved home-school programs if they complete grades 9-12 at an Akron school.
• Not set minimum or maximum family income levels.
The initial scholarships would be awarded for the fall semester of 2009 at the University of Akron or an Akron technical or trade school to students who have lived in the city for at least one year. In succeeding years, scholarship amounts would be more closely tied to length of residency.
''This should make clear to the voters that we are giving more choices to more students to obtain scholarships than any other scholarship program,'' Plusquellic said in the news release.
The overall plan is on the Nov. 4 ballot as Issue 8.
The City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday on the third floor of the Akron Municipal Building, 166 S. High St.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic will ask City Council at its meeting Monday to pass an ordinance setting forth the eligibility rules for his controversial college scholarship plan, city officials announced.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 11:50 AM, 10/05/2008
Remember to vote AGAINST "leasing" our sewer system. Vote NO on Issue 8. The mayor's plan will be a disaster.
Akron, Oh
Posted 02:33 PM, 10/05/2008
I already voted and I voted a resounding "YES" on Issue 8! The plan will keep people in Akron and strenthen the local economy.
akron, oh
Posted 04:16 PM, 10/05/2008
I would vote yes if the money was to go towards something that would benefit everyone - not a select few.
Front Line, KC
Posted 05:15 PM, 10/05/2008
Why was the part about having to live in the city of Akron for 30 years following graduation left out of the paper? It was in the information passed out by the mayors office. When our sewer rates triple in the next couple of years, can the money be used to pay my bill? My children s attended Akron public schools and I am now paying for college, If I allow the mayor to sell the sewer system and my rates go through the roof, will he start paying for my kid's college bills?
akron, oh
Posted 11:50 PM, 10/05/2008
THIS IDEA IS PREPOSTEROUS! The mayor wants to rid himself of any responsibility for the condition that our sewer system is currently in. He and the rest of city council is and has been aware of the dilapidated condition of Akron's sewer system for quite sometime and have done little, if anything to make improvements. Now he comes at the voters with a ridiculous plan to lease the sewer system to a private party. The lessee will undoubtedly raise sewer rates through the roof in order to update this very antiquated system, and if they fail to make money they will abandon their lease faster than passengers fleeing a sinking oceanliner. I have 3 children whom I hope to send to college and scholarship money would be a great help, but I cannot support a plan as outrageous as this one. The mayor wants to hold the children of Akron's citizens hostage for 30 years following graduation. Where will these hostages find gainful employment? What will happen if students don't fulfill their obligation? How much money will be spent on accounting in order to track all of the students who participate in the program? Who will repay the monies spent when students from low income households abandon college after a semester or two? Don't be fooled by this harebrained idea. It is going to cost way more than $200 million! Let's just pay to fix the problems with our sewer system. VOTE NO on "Project S**t for Brains"!
Akron, OH
Posted 04:16 PM, 10/06/2008
Let's read the fine print about that lease, Dirty Don. What are you hiding now? Well, honesty has never been your strong suit.
Copley, OH
Posted 02:51 PM, 10/17/2008
Remember, you never get something for nothing. Who will lease our sewers? How will they pay to fix the mess? The "they" will be us taxpayers!!!
I'm voting NO on issue 8. We are not The Don's yes men.
