[Introduced Monday were] Prop 14, 2011, and Prop 15, 2011, which are the public questions to be included on the May ballot in Franklin and Perry Townships, respectively. Both public questions would raise taxes for extra operating funds for the school districts. Franklin Township's taxes would rise by $0.75 for each $100 of assessed value. Perry Township's taxes would rise by $0.3078 for each $100 of assessed value. Both would have to beBy way of translation, that's $750 and $307.80 per $100,000 assessed value.approved by the respective electorate in May, and both would last for the next 7 years.
Who are the sponsors of these property tax increase proposals? Well, they are all Republicans. Councilor Aaron Freeman is sponsoring the Franklin Township tax increase, while Councilor Susie Day and Jeff Cardwell are sponsoring the Perry Township tax increase.
These property tax increases will be outside of the property tax caps. Worse yet, the referendums sponsored by the three Republicans would take place during primaries when turnout is much lower. Schools have a much easier time pushing through tax increase referendums when there is a low turnout.In 2007, Republicans won the municipal elections riding a wave of backlash against property taxes and an increase in the county option income tax. For three years, Republicans Councilors have supported scores of tax and fee increases proposed by the Ballard administration. Now they are even willing to go out on their own, supporting increasing the very unpopular property tax outside of the property tax caps that voters overwhelming approved just two and a half months ago. Have Republicans forgotten the lesson of 2007 this quickly? Apparently so.
Note: Pictured from top are Councilors Aaron Freeman, Susie Day and Jeff Cardwell.
5 comments:
Voters need a guide so they can avoid the tax & spenders of either party.
I would add, these tax increases are simply dumped into operations of the school district. It's not like this temporary tax increase - for seven years - is to build a building. You think seven years from now, they're going to plan to do without that extra money from the tax increase? You can bet they won't.
The odds are very good the referendum will not pass in Franklin Township since there are more people without kids in the township then there are with kids. I think the school system is just wasting their money.
What I am waiting on is the law suit to see if the judge will blow up the funding formula and make the state come up with a new one. Where in the world does it state in the Indiana Constitution that a school system should get more money per kid just to feed and basically baby (IPS & Gary come to mind)sit them. The school systems in Indiana that receive the higher amounts of cash per kids all have horrible graduation rates. We are essentally throwing our money away.
Then of course we have that idiot Attorney General Greg Zoeller who is running around telling schools systems they can't charge for busing because it is essental that kids have free transportaion to be educated. Of course the last time I looked Indiana Pubic Schools charge for text books. Hmm wonder do kids need books to learn? Did Zoeller forget how to use his law degree when he took the oath of office?
What will be interesting to see if Franklin Twsp doesn't get the referendum passed, they keep saying (could be a ploy) that busing of the kids to school will be stopped. If they decide to go ahead and stop busing the kids it will be one massive parking lot around every school in the township. Oh well it does make like interesting the burbs!
Guy77,
"The odds are very good the referendum will not pass in Franklin Township since there are more people without kids in the township then there are with kids."
That's true in most school districts in the State. Pike is like 30% have kids in the Pike schools. The problem is the 70% that don't, do not think they are affected by school issues and don't vote in a referendum, especially if it's held at the primary. It's tough getting people to understand that 50% of their property taxes go to schools and they should be worried.
It will be interesting to see if the schools' vendors start pouring money into PACs to support this increase. This happened in Speedway last year, somewhere north of 70% of the money donated came from non Speedway residents and or businesses.
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