The announcement that Mid-America Technology Center has planned an election for August 12 is a long time in coming. The intent is to ask voters in the Technology Center district to increase their property taxes by 3 mills so MATC can build a facility on the north end of the district to better serve students near Newcastle and Blanchard and open up space at the main campus in Wayne.
There’s no reason to hide the fact that the approval of this election is an uphill battle. The district is large with a majority of residents living south of the proposed area. Also, an increase in taxes, and specifically property taxes, has not been a popular idea in recent years. Nonetheless, there is a great need for this facility and the training it provides.
The idea of a facility to serve the north end of the district has been floated for years. In fact, MATC owns 20 acres of land on the north side of State Highway 9 near May Avenue; however, they do not believe it is “large enough to accommodate the future needs of MATC,” school officials said. One plan is to sell this property to help pay for land nearby at SH-9 and SH62.
