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Local Government Levy "Dont's"

Friday, April 19, 2019

When a school district, village, city, township or county has a levy or bond issue on the ballot, remember that Local Government may not:

·        Use public money to support or oppose the passage of a levy or bond issue;

·       Compensate an employee for any time spent at an activity intended to influence the outcome of a levy or issue;

·       Publish information with the intent to influence, support, or oppose the outcome of a levy;

·       Allow a levy committee to use their facilities to hold a private/closed meeting;

·       Allow a levy committee to use their facilities to hold an exclusive meeting;

·       Allow a levy committee to use that subdivision’s resources (i.e. equipment and supplies) free-of-charge. The committee must pay for the usage;

·       Allow a pro-levy or anti-levy committee to use that subdivision’s resources without allowing the same resources to be used by a committee with the opposite position;

·       Allow a levy committee to use their nonprofit bulk mail rate permit;

·       Spend public money to create and send home political subdivision-sponsored levy-related communications that are intended to influence, support, or oppose the outcome of a levy;

·       Allow a pro-levy or anti-levy committee to send home communications without allowing an opposing committee to also send home communications;

·       Allow employees to attend and speak at levy committee meetings during regular working hours with the intent of influencing, supporting, or opposing the outcome of a levy;

·       Publish, distribute, or otherwise communicate information that:

·  Contains defamatory, libelous, or obscene matter;

·  Promotes alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or other tobacco products, or any illegal product, service, or activity;

·  Promotes illegal discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap, age or ancestry.

·       Publish, distribute, or otherwise communicate information that supports or opposes:

·  Any labor organization or any action by, on behalf of, or against any labor organization;

·  The nomination or election of a candidate for public office,

·  The investigation, prosecution, or recall of a public official

·  The passage of a levy or bond issue.

 

This includes social media profiles created, maintained, and/or used by a school district, village, city, township or county.