Tie growth plan to levy
I see where the PLSD is now wanting to increase our taxes with a 7.9 mil levy on the May ballot. The only way they can increase that tax is if we let them and we approve the levy issue. This will be about $250 per $100,000 home. Of course there are very few 100k homes in the Pickerington area. That is about $20 to $30 per month for the average taxpayer.
When do we just say no? Some of us are just feeling the pinch of the New High School and Junior High in our taxes yet here we go again with yet another tax increase that wasn?’t suppose to come this early. Remember they passed a 3 mill operating levy when we passed the High School bond issue. But where did that money go? Oh they gave it ALL away to the teachers.
To be fair with the teachers and parents we can?’t sustain this kind of a school district that you have grown accustom to. Clearly our tax base has been very weak for a long time since at lease 1997 when the then school board indicated we were 7th from the bottom of 611 school districts in the state with our percentage of commercial properties. The citizens of this school district simply can?’t afford to pay for this school district with no help from the state or commercial property. We simply don?’t make enough money to pay these taxes and still be able to eat and provide a roof over our heads.
For a full week now I have heard parents complaining about ?“THE CUTS?” that will occur if the levy fails or even if the levy passes. Please pay attention because once these levies pass that is all you will be able to pay is attention. YOU ARE BROKE!! Even with a large operating levy you still must cut services. There isn?’t enough money.
Wes Monhollen fired a shot across the bow for the booster clubs yesterday in the Dispatch saying the ?“AWARD WINNING BAND?” will end. Night Football games will end. Extra curricular activities will end.
Clearly this is extortion on the part on members of the school board. Remember the $7 million they pried out of us a couple of years ago to build that intimidating new High School that sits so close to the bar across the street? We have athletic fields and a ?“PERFORMING ARTS CENTER?” and now we don?’t have the money to open them.
The very same groups that sold us on the High School and the ?“DESPERATE NEED OF ATHLETIC FIELDS?” now must convince us to provide them operating money from our pockets when actually academic programs are going to be cut to provide money for the supplementary coaching staff.
These same booster clubs have stood by the Pickerington City Council for years now not saying a word about there uncontrolled growth policies yet when it comes to levy time the taxpayers have always been the greedy ones.
Lou Postage talks about impact fees but folks impact fees ae about capital improvements not OPERATING EXPENSES.
WELL FOLKS HERE WE GO AGAIN!!
By Dr. Pepper
I see where the PLSD is now wanting to increase our taxes with a 7.9 mil levy on the May ballot. The only way they can increase that tax is if we let them and we approve the levy issue. This will be about $250 per $100,000 home. Of course there are very few 100k homes in the Pickerington area. That is about $20 to $30 per month for the average taxpayer.
When do we just say no? Some of us are just feeling the pinch of the New High School and Junior High in our taxes yet here we go again with yet another tax increase that wasn?’t suppose to come this early. Remember they passed a 3 mill operating levy when we passed the High School bond issue. But where did that money go? Oh they gave it ALL away to the teachers.
To be fair with the teachers and parents we can?’t sustain this kind of a school district that you have grown accustom to. Clearly our tax base has been very weak for a long time since at lease 1997 when the then school board indicated we were 7th from the bottom of 611 school districts in the state with our percentage of commercial properties. The citizens of this school district simply can?’t afford to pay for this school district with no help from the state or commercial property. We simply don?’t make enough money to pay these taxes and still be able to eat and provide a roof over our heads.
For a full week now I have heard parents complaining about ?“THE CUTS?” that will occur if the levy fails or even if the levy passes. Please pay attention because once these levies pass that is all you will be able to pay is attention. YOU ARE BROKE!! Even with a large operating levy you still must cut services. There isn?’t enough money.
Wes Monhollen fired a shot across the bow for the booster clubs yesterday in the Dispatch saying the ?“AWARD WINNING BAND?” will end. Night Football games will end. Extra curricular activities will end.
Clearly this is extortion on the part on members of the school board. Remember the $7 million they pried out of us a couple of years ago to build that intimidating new High School that sits so close to the bar across the street? We have athletic fields and a ?“PERFORMING ARTS CENTER?” and now we don?’t have the money to open them.
The very same groups that sold us on the High School and the ?“DESPERATE NEED OF ATHLETIC FIELDS?” now must convince us to provide them operating money from our pockets when actually academic programs are going to be cut to provide money for the supplementary coaching staff.
These same booster clubs have stood by the Pickerington City Council for years now not saying a word about there uncontrolled growth policies yet when it comes to levy time the taxpayers have always been the greedy ones.
Lou Postage talks about impact fees but folks impact fees ae about capital improvements not OPERATING EXPENSES.
WELL FOLKS HERE WE GO AGAIN!!
By Dr. Pepper
