The Observation Deck

I just received a phone call from a pollster (instigation or funding unknown) with a lengthy set of questions regarding Lakewood schools and future levys and financing.
While most of the questions seemed to be normal polling fodder, the one, brand new term that kept coming up was "Incremental Levy."
This is a brand new concept and darned well better be explained pronto by any and all or we risk all the goodwill that has been built up over the past many DECADES!
Stan Austin

Sounds to me like LCSD has figured out how to successfully boil a frog and is trying to figure out if it will also work on its already-greatly-overburdened property taxpayers....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog

Stan: Ideas are being floated and questions being asked. Basically, would you rather have the same levy amount start immediately or phased in over a couple years?

Tim: Please remember that state policy over the last couple decades has been to create state tax breaks at the expense of local government revenue streams. The state's most recent cuts in local government funding only continue that transfer of tax burden from the state to local communities.

Edward Favre wrote:Stan: Ideas are being floated and questions being asked. Basically, would you rather have the same levy amount start immediately or phased in over a couple years?

Tim: Please remember that state policy over the last couple decades has been to create state tax breaks at the expense of local government revenue streams. The state's most recent cuts in local government funding only continue that transfer of tax burden from the state to local communities.

Did the State make the decision to have Lakewood Schools pay $6 million in retirement bonuses over the last three years?

Did the State make the decision to use the proceeds from the previous levy for raises for School Board employees?

I want to know who made the foolish decision to work on the elementary schools first while leaving the high school literally in pieces for years?

Don't start something unless you are sure you are going to finish it.