The Observation Deck

Per Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, here is the Issue 14 wording:

An additional tax for the benefit of the Lakewood City School District for the purpose of current expenses at a rate not exceeding 3.9 mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to 39 cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for a continuing period of time, commencing in 2013, first due in calendar year 2014.

Can someone please explain to me what the phrase "for the purpose of current expenses" means? Unrestricted general operating dollars? vs. capital or project-specific use?

Thanks

Peter Grossetti wrote:Can someone please explain to me what the phrase "for the purpose of current expenses" means? Unrestricted general operating dollars? vs. capital or project-specific use?

Thanks

The levy is for day to day operating expenses of the school system.

Thanks, Charlie!

So the way I see it, our voting voices can - and will - be heard twice ...

... first on May 7 when all we do is vote "yeah" or "nay" on additional dollars;

... and then later in the year when we decide who comprises Our Board of Education. (and hopefully each and every candidate will indicate declare how they plan to spend those dollars.)

Let's not put the cart before the horse, eh!??!?

Peter Grossetti wrote:Thanks, Charlie!

So the way I see it, our voting voices can - and will - be heard twice ...

... first on May 7 when all we do is vote "yeah" or "nay" on additional dollars;

... and then later in the year when we decide who comprises Our Board of Education. (and hopefully each and every candidate will indicate declare how they plan to spend those dollars.)

Let's not put the cart before the horse, eh!??!?

Peter - yes, it is additional dollars. However, the state has cut funding to all schools over the last few years. Lakewood City Schools have responded by cutting expenses, including the number of teachers. But they can't make additional cuts without sacrificing worthy programs. Vote FOR Issue 14 on May 7!

Charlie -

My point here is that we the voters are not voting on how money (if approved on May 7) is spent on various programs, personnel, etc.

I bring this up because most discussions and conversations I follow regarding the May 7 Issue 14 voting are full of ideas, suggestion, fears about HOW the money should/should not be spent. Once Issue 14 is or is not passed, then we should head down that path. Thus, my remark about the cart before the horse.

Peter Grossetti wrote:Charlie -

My point here is that we the voters are not voting on how money (if approved on May 7) is spent on various programs, personnel, etc.

I bring this up because most discussions and conversations I follow regarding the May 7 Issue 14 voting are full of ideas, suggestion, fears about HOW the money should/should not be spent. Once Issue 14 is or is not passed, then we should head down that path. Thus, my remark about the cart before the horse.

You are correct Peter! People are voting either FOR or AGAINST the levy!

If people have fears, they should be asking NOW rather than after election day. People shouldn't be making decisions at the voting booth based on bad information.

Charlie Page wrote:

Peter Grossetti wrote:Thanks, Charlie!
So the way I see it, our voting voices can - and will - be heard twice ...
... first on May 7 when all we do is vote "yeah" or "nay" on additional dollars;
... and then later in the year when we decide who comprises Our Board of Education. (and hopefully each and every candidate will indicate declare how they plan to spend those dollars.)
Let's not put the cart before the horse, eh!??!?

Peter - yes, it is additional dollars. However, the state has cut funding to all schools over the last few years. Lakewood City Schools have responded by cutting expenses, including the number of teachers. But they can't make additional cuts without sacrificing worthy programs. Vote FOR Issue 14 on May 7!

Well.....
The State did cut funding.

Revenues are otherwise stagnant.

The cost of everything is going up.

But……

The board has used the decline in enrollment to mask the very fragile nature of the Schools current financial situation. If you lose 1,000 students you can easily reduce costs by not hiring teachers. If a teacher making $120,000 per year retires and is replaced by teacher making $50,000 per year the district “saves” $70,000 per year. In the language of levy campaigns that’s called “cutting $70,000” from the school budget.

The savings from declining enrollment and the retirement of highly compensated employees allows the district to continue bad economic policy while appearing to “cut” expenditures.

That system works fine as long as enrollment continues to decline and as long as there is a steady stream of retirements. The impending crisis point will arrive when enrollment stabilizes and retirements decline. We have reached that point.

Since the State will not be increasing funding

And

Property values will stagnate or decline

And

The Board still grants step raises

And

The Board intends to grant future COLA raises

And

The employer portion of the pension is set to increase by 15%

And

Health insurance costs are going to increase by at least 12% per year

Then…

We are faced with an unending series of property tax increases that will cause property
values to decline

Which will cause property taxes to increase

Which will cause a further decline in property values. Etc

Which not only affects School revenues but City revenues as well

We are not approaching a crisis point. We have reached it.