mhsdad says

KMN, Your right you probably would not see it as wasteful if the school board has operated 12 years without any new money.  Unfortunately, the biggest cost of any business is usually labor.  The board has approved multiple raises for all of the staff since the levy was passed.  Every time a levy comes out its for the kids but the staff does not do anything to help relieve the burden on the school.  They just want more and the board gave it to them.  Some of the staff has recieved 20,000 worth of raises each since 2004.  Can you honestly say they have been responsible with our money?  I can't.

And before anyone starts to say see if you can do their job, yea i probably could because its not hard to teach the same thing year after year and not change anything.  Just ask Jim Edwards or any of his government students who used the notebooks from the year before because they were the same word for word.   That is not teaching that is reciting information. 

Some one please show me were a teacher is worth 60,70 or 80,000 dollars for 180 days worth of work I just dont get it.  Please dont say it is because you have to have a degree.  Managers at Sam's Club have to have a degree to get into the management program and they dont get paid that much.

And yes there are people that can not afford it.  I already pay MHS 910.26 a year so the extra 200 bucks yea its a lot.  What would you have me not pay? Gas,electric,water how bout groceries?  Please tell me.  I'd love to get a part time job to help with expenses, but i work 60 hours a week and drive 1 hour to get there and 1 hour home and then have a home and family to take care of. 

KMN says

If you want to look at it that way tk, that also means about 1/4 were against it

tk says

Before the board and administration at Margaretta get to excited about another levy they should consider the fact that there are approximately 4,500 registered voters in Margaretta.  Of these only about half voted and nearly half of those voted No.  So it comes down to the fact that only about !/4 of the voters supported the levy.

outsider says

 This renewal levy is a conversion levy. Your trustworthy BOE and treasurer are trying to sneak a fast one over on the general public. This is a direct quote from the paper. 

"It makes sense for us to try this at least once," treasurer Jude Hammond said. "And if it fails we have opportunities next year to look at more traditional forms of property taxes without losing any revenue." Taxes would raise with future reappraisals.

You people have been hoodwinked into passing the first levy. Now, they feel they have the country bumpkins right where they want them. Lets just slide this never ending levy in place of the renewal levy.

KMN says

Common, there are many peopple who own cars who do not own their homes and plenty of people who call the police as well.  How many places can you go where you have to own property to abe able to say how your tax dollars are affected.  And there is not a large volume of rentals in Castalia.  One of the loudest NO voters is a grown man who lives in his Mom's basement. 

Your parents paid taxes when you were in school and their would be voters then who did not own their property.   It is a difficult financial time for some and the school needs to be financial responsible.  Everyone gets that.  But AGAIN, seperate your feelings for Ed Kurt / BOE from the reality of trying to provide an education for children like you received when you were a kid with this financial crisis that EVERY town and state is going through.  Many people are not even aware that the State has reduced funding and that leaves the towns responsible for the difference.

Common-Sense says

 In response to  KMN "should only people who own property have their roads plowed and police protecting their streets?  Or anyother service paid by tax dollars?" 

All property is owned by someone, and that someone is paying taxes on it (or are suppose to be anyhow) so that covers all the services you mentioned, for everybody. As far as the NON property owners, I personally feel that they should not be allowed to vote on levies that do not pertain to them, any more than we in Margaretta, are allowed to vote on another districts levies, unless we own property there. This is just My opinion.

hussein membrane says

 where did you hear it was going to be a conversion levy? i heard they considered and rejected that idea. no other school district in ohio has attempted one because in down economy it would be of little benefit. 

KMN says

Common,  I just don't see a school that has been able to make it 12 years with no new money as wasteful.  I think that some find it difficult to differentiate their dislike for the board from that reality.  And while I am sympathetic to the unemployeed, this too, is an age old problem that will always be around.  So the exuse that people can't afford it....well, look around at what other communities pay for taxes.  And as for recruiting NON property owners to vote...they have always been allowed to and always have.  When you turn 18 and register to vote they don't ask if you own property....should only people who own property have their roads plowed and police protecting their streets?  Or anyother service paid by tax dollars?  By the way, those expenses have also gone up in 12 years.

Common-Sense says

KMN, That's true. I should have said, They would not need as much, If they were doing the job we are paying them to do, But they are far from being done with us tax (levy) wise yet, especially now that it seems they have recruited the NON property owner voters, who have nothing to lose, and the ones with bottomless pockets.

outsider says

 This may be a renewal but Mr. Kurt and the BOE are trying to sneak in a "Conversion levy " rather than a regular replacement levy. Don't be fooled this is not a normal replacement levy. Once this levy is passed the money will increase as property taxes are increased. You don't get to vote on property tax increases. You are handing way your rights to vote on school levies. You are giving away your ability to question and control the public schools. Don't give up these rights ! You will never get them back!

KMN says

Commonsense: "if they were just doing the job we were paying them to to, the would not need these additional levies"....I suppose they should be able to run the school on the same amout of funding year after year with no expenses ever going up...Not realistic.  Will I agree that they need to be accountable, to believe they should never need more money is foolish....I know my expenses have gone up if I compare them today to 12 years ago. 

Common-Sense says

THIS GREED NEEDS TO STOP NOW!

In response to KMN, The school board wants to put a new type of levy on the ballot in November (never tried before), called a conversion levy, which, if passed, we would have no more control over our school tax increases at all. They are going to make it look like it's cheaper than the renewal. But don't be fooled. This would really be a BLANK CHECK for Kurt and the boy's.  Our property taxes would automatically go up, without the property owners having any say in it, period. This MUST not happen. This greed, and wasteful spending, must stop immediately. Now that they just won an ADDITIONAL levy, We can not allow (or afford) even the renewal levy to pass (not to mention the blank check conversion levy). We should not give them another cent, at least until some major house cleaning is done, starting with Kurt and the BOE. They are obviously not doing their job, and trying to take the easy way out, at the property owners expense.  If they would just do the job that WE are paying them to do, they would not need as many levies as they are throwing at us. They are far from being done with us tax (levy) wise, unless a conversion levy would pass, then we might as well just sign our property over to them, and our rights too.

taxpayer69 said it well! 

KMN says

You should read and be informed: this is a RENEWAL of a levy due to EXPIRE.  That has been make very clear.  RENEWAL!!!!  Not a new levy. 

NigelHolmes says

I'm clapping for what Taxpayer69 said

Bevyannd says

This is unbelievable...to ask us to okay yet another levy on top of the one that the not real smart residents okayed just two days ago. Come on people....WAKE UP!!  Taxpayer69 says it all...

Community Pride says

#1: It has been discussed for a long time by the Board of Education that this RENEWAL would be coming up this November, and that it would need to be voted on to maintain the levy passed in 1998, regardless of whether or not the other levy passed.

#2: It is a RENEWAL, which means that it is NOT AN ADDITIONAL LEVY.  It is solely to maintain previous money.

Stay informed.

Salvatore says

What the heck! Another levy on top of one that just squeezed by?

taxpayer69 says

Obviously Margaretta School Board Members are not to bright, do you honestly think that after squeaking out a levy, the taxpayers are going to turn around and vote yes on another levy,  I don't think so, Not everyone makes the big bucks like Mr. Kurt who gets a raise in the midst of financial turmoil at our schools, Hey Mr. Kurt are your future goals to be a CEO of A.I.G.?   Seems you have the same mentality as they have,  Now it's time for the School Board to step up to the plate, Leave you crooked people and let someone that has the best interest of the children in mind take over!!  Mr. Kurt makes more money than most of us dream about and hasnt had the guts to step up to the plate and take a pay cut to show he is willing to contribute.  Mr. Bodi only worries about having cheerleaders attend his wife's Gymnastic's classes so they can pad their pockets, since when is it a requirement to attend a Gymnastic class as a pre-requisite to becoming a cheerleader and making parent's pay , unless that is you own one and you need the business!! Oh something is rotten in denmark my friend.  Oh and you should see who is deliquent on paying their property taxes, pretty sad when you  can't contribute to their own cause but expect everyone else too!!!  Come on Margaretta Residents you deserve better than this!!!