School board in Ark City approved a budget with small mill levy increase.
The budget includes a wage increase for teachers, and raises an extra $61,000 or so, which translates to about $10 more per year on a $100,000 home.
Frankly I'm surprised this was done. It's not a bunch of money, but you'd think they would, politically, find $61,000 in projected savings instead of risking alienation of the public with a tax increase. The bond issue, the local sales taxes, and now the state sales tax have increased the tax burden. I suppose this is why the vote was split 4-3.
I could understand more the pursuit of a mill increase if the threat were big — several hundred thousand or so to make up.
A novice's take on the local, state and national political scenes
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David Allen
- Politics 101
- All politics is local -Tip O'Neil
6 comments:
Aren't we Taxed Enough Already? Jeez. At least with our sales tax increase we were given a vote. I haven't had a raise in two years because of the economy being the way it is, but my tax money goes to pay for raises for teachers?
Your tax money was also used to buy a mutlimillion dollar football stadium used about very few times a year and to buy signage to direct people to that stadium.
In this town, sports are king, education ranks last in the real reason the last bond issue was passed. The very board members that tout not wanting to raise taxes did NOT return extra moneys from the bond issue but continued to spend. Perhaps, if they had returned the $44,000 for the signs and the money spent to change the middle school colors to purple and gold and to buy new uniforms for that same reason then the raise for the teachers would seem less of an issue.
What is important here...keeping and attracting quality teachers or continuing to spend to have a facility that is only used by athletes?
The bond issue WAS NOT just about sports. Have you driven by the new IXL school?? Have you driven around any of the elementary schools to see the addition to these buildings?
SPeaking of the FB stadium...did you know it will also be used for track and soccer? And by KEEPING the HS kids away from the MS kids seems like it would be a good deal.....for obvious reasons. Also by having facilities at the HS less kids are racing out of the parking lot and to their practices at other facilities around town. AGAIN this could prevent even one death then I'm for all of it.
Yes we MUST attract and retain good teachers. And sometimes by INVESTING in our school buildings and other extra curricular activities we can do that.
The bond issue money can ONLY be used for what it was voted in for...the new classrooms being built and the sports complex. It sounds simple that they should have used $44,000 or so for teachers but that is NOT how it works.
I'm sure any board member that voted for or against the new budget would glady explain some of this toyou
Anonymous said...
Also by having facilities at the HS less kids are racing out of the parking lot and to their practices at other facilities around town. AGAIN this could prevent even one death then I'm for all of it. August 12, 2010 8:26 AM
So does the same hold true for the possibility that the new Health Care package passed by US Congress and signed into law by our curent president? What if even one life that may have prematurely ended were saved? Would that make it worth while?
I mean we say a life was lost because a passenger was not wearing a seatbelt, looking right past the fact that the collision is what did the damage. That's a justification for mandating seatbelts.
But, when people talk about providing health care to those who cannot afford private insurance, most seem to curse it and blame it their ire on the president even though Congress approved it.
So, why do we want to save HS lives and then have them get out on their own and off their parents and consider the same lives collateral damage in the name (game) of partisan politics?
Yes property owners should pay for everything.
The bond issue was about more than athletics...much more. Do you ever follow our youth to away games? If you did you would see a stark contrast between the quality, and location, of those facilities to ours.
New athletic facilities were needed to improve student safety, allow more time for practice by having the facilities located closer to the high school, and give the kids, and the community, a facility that they could be proud of.
The bond issue was also used to pay for more class space and building security. There was also money to provide storm shelters for the kids.
I don't support the recent tax increase although I do support a pay increase for the teachers. I think that the money could have been found elsewhere. However, our teachers are drastically underpaid and deserve a much larger increase than they received.
Sports is KING and EDUCATION is last? Have you paid any attention to the progress in our schools over the last decade? Drive around town and look at the banners of excellence hanging around (yes the teachers certainly deserved a raise). I have lived places where sports was King in the school system. Kids graduating without the ability to read because they could carry or throw a ball. Believe me that's not the case in AC.
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