37°Margaretta Schools seeking levy renewal
Jan 31
2011
After a new, exotic type of levy failed them in November, Margaretta Schools officials are going back to basics for the May ballot.
The school board voted this week to seek a renewal of a 7.75 mill levy, the same one that they tried to replace with the state's first-ever conversion levy in the fall. Concerned about the potential for taxes to increase indefinitely, 71.5 percent of voters rejected the conversion levy.
If voters approve the renewal in May, taxes won't increase at all.
Treasurer Jude Hammond gave the school board two options: the renewal and a replacement levy to restore the levy's effective rate, which decreases each year to keep revenue steady in accordance with state law.
The replacement levy would have generated an extra $351,185 for the school district annually and would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home an extra $71.13 per year, according to Hammond's projections.
The extra money would keep Margaretta in the black another year, through June 30, 2013.
A renewal simply allows the school district to continue to collect the $1.2 million it generates each year. Without a renewal or replacement, the levy will expire at the end of this year.
Margaretta Schools residents approved a new 6.9 mill levy in August, granting the district two or three years of solvency.
That's starting to appear on tax bills now, and board members have received some concerns and complaints about the tax increase, Hammond said.
The board members were cognizant of that when voting on the levy for May.
"I think voters are very sensitive to any increase, and so renewing may be our best bet for now," Hammond said. "I'm not sure we've reached our capacity, but our capacity is getting closer for how much people can pay."
The renewal is for five years.
Like other districts, Margaretta is bracing for bad news from Columbus as legislators get to work on a new two-year budget to take effect this summer.
State officials have suggested that state aid to education could be cut by 10 percent or more. A 10 percent cut would mean $450,000 for Margaretta Schools.
District projections call for a $481,555 cash balance at the end of this fiscal year on June 30.
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03:51 PM
Taxpayer says
Come on taxpaying property owners of Margaretta. Vote yes, Yes, YES!! "It is for the children, it is for the little children." I know you can do it. You have no choice but to vote yes, because the $100 MILLION levy for an brand new school complex in Perkins will take three years to finish. That means you can NOT sent your kids to Perkins via open enrollment. Once the voters of Perkins approve this mega lotto school payment and construction is completed, then you can send your kids to Perkins. Once Perkins builds and spends, people in Margaretta should not have to ever pass a school levy again. Sounds like plan.
10:21 AM
outsider says
Trixie,
Your property tax should decrease. But, with the tricks the county and the schools implement to cover each other I wouldn't bet on it . Call the county treasurer and make her give you an answer in writing.
09:00 AM
Trixie says
So if the "renewal" fails, will our taxes go down? And if not, why?
07:08 PM
outsider says
Taxed Enough Already,
That would be the infamous "Conversion Tax".
With this wonderful tax created by schools regular millage would be "converted" to millage that would increase without taxpayer approval. Your county is doing this to your taxes as we speak.
Tell your schools and county NO MORE.
No more taxes without a vote.
05:57 PM
Taxed Enough Already says
exotic type levy...will someone explain what an exotic type levy is?
05:41 PM
outsider says
Be informed,
What I believe EZOB is saying the the word" renewal " does not always mean no tax increase. We are all in agreement that replacement means a tax increase.
05:16 PM
Be_informed says
Hey EZOB:::::::::::::::::::::::::
this is a cut and paste from above........
The replacement levy would have generated an extra $351,185 for the school district annually and would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home an extra $71.13 per year, according to Hammond's projections
How would this not increase the tax on my home?
04:59 PM
outsider says
EZOB,
So replacement levies and renewal levies both increase taxes? Why would I not believe that from a school system? Just another little sneaky way to squeeze more money out of the taxpaying public.
Thanks for the insight.
It's that trust issue again.
02:50 PM
EZOB says
OUTSIDER:::::::::::::::::::::
You are wrong on your definition of a "Renewal Levy". When you vote to approve a renewal levy, you are voting on the exact purpose of the original levy, "NOT" necessarily the original amount. By Ohio law you could have voted for say a 2 mil levy and the renewal levy could be for 10 mils. There is no set amount. You vote for the Ehove, Senior, or Metro-Parks renewals and people wonder why their taxes increased. Yes, they give you the amount of mils the new renewal is stipulated but unless you know the original mils you won't be aware of the increases until you get your tax bill. This is causing the negative reactions to most levies. People deserve to be made more aware of exactly what they are voting on and the levy should state if indeed it is an increase even if it is a renewal.
10:49 AM
corky says
Oh boy, they got it jammed down their throats last time, so now they want to be all nice and try it again. Cut some overypaid teachers who go shopping on the clock and then come back, maybe in 2015.
09:42 AM
Serious says
Better hope it's NOT "ALL ABOUT THE KIDS" in castalia like it is in Edison---- If so, prepare your kids for loss.......
After 5 FAILED LEVIES, here's the DISTRICTS newest idea:
All k-3 kids will be bussed to Milan Element., 4th-8th to Berlin Element. and 9-12 will remain at the high school... Making for LONGER BUS RIDES FOR THE KIDS.....
2 DIFFERENT TIME SCHEDULES & ADDING ANOTHER BUS ROUTE IN THE A.M. & P.M. - Therefore, it's possible in this district to have your children at 3 different schools on 2 different time schedules
Some staff will be cut, INCREASING THE # OF STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM TO AS HIGH AS 30 SOME. Good luck to the less then average child who's already distracted in classrooms barely reaching 20 students.
Pay to "possibly participate" is still in effect to a tune of $75 middle school and $125 high school PER SPORT, BAND ETC. Implemented after past levy failures......
Our students don't have the same advanced curriculum choices as other schools, but our staff has the cadillac of all contracts amoung the other schools.
As you can see "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS" at Edison......
SOME of the staff did take a pay freeze for one year, STEPS were still paid and administrators got their 3% raises during this time of being "ALL ABOUT THE KIDS".......
This new plan will save the district $300k after the $97k busing increase, if they'd LISTEN TO THE VOTERS they could save $400k-$800 (and growing) by changing the retirement system this district pays above and beyond the other systems in our area. AND the kids wouldn't be on the bus longer because they are being transported to the next town over, instead of the school next door,they wouldn't be in larger classes with more children, creating more distractions and barriers to learning, and parents wouldn't be plea bargaining with their children to take the $75 or $125 and put it in the bank instead of blowing it on "pay to maybe participate".
I guess to some it makes more sense to keep your hourly wage, high benefit packages, sell your fellow co-workers down the river by cutting their jobs totally, increasing the number of students in a classroom, increasing the distractions in a classroom, which will in return probably lower the learning lever, grading more papers, and on and on, then just giving up a little in desperate times like the PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUPPORTED YOU IN PAST YEARS have asked you to do.
MAKES SENSE RIGHT?????
God help you if it's "ALL ABOUT THE KIDS"!
09:34 AM
outsider says
Margaretta taxpayers please understand the difference between a renewal and a replacement levy.
Renewal ....no additional cost to you the taxpayer.
Replacement.... tax increases to you the taxpayer.
Don't be decieved by the wording used your BOE.