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West G on March Ballot for Renewal
Friday, January 20, 2012
West Geauga Schools has decided to go with what they’ve got in March.
The school board voted last month to place its current five-year, 5.6-mill emergency operating levy on the March 6 ballot for renewal.
“There are no new taxes,” said Superintendent Tom Diringer. “In any school district, it’s imperative to pass school levies because it’s so significant to the operation of the district. When you muddy those waters with attempts at new money ... the possibility of failure may increase.”
The current levy pulls in $3.7 million annually, Diringer said.
“The school board and administrators believe it’s in the best interest of the school district to get the renewal passed. It’s a significant part of our budget,” he said. “The passage rate of renewal levies in Ohio is very high. New money ones are the ones that are passing at a very low rate.”
The operating levy currently costs homeowners $170.47 per $100,000 of property valuation, said a spokeswoman at the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.
She explained that, like with any emergency levy, the millage amount ebbs and flows with property values.
“It’s based on a fixed dollar amount, so that millage could increase or decrease as property values increase or decrease,” she said.
Board President Bill Beers emphasized the renewal levy is not the same type of money request the school district has placed on the ballot the previous two elections, which were specifically aimed at repairs to school buildings.
“This is just for the normal operating of the district,” Beers said.
West Geauga Schools has earned an “excellent” rating by the State of Ohio for 11 consecutive years and needs to maintain its current level of funding to continue that level of operation, according to the school district.
“We’ve been making reductions for several years now and the board members are working on reductions again for next year, but we definitely need these dollars to properly maintain what we offer,” Diringer said.
Reductions include teachers and support staff signing two-year extensions on their negotiated contracts to remain at the same salaries and not receive yearly increase, a total salary freeze for these personnel as well as the administrators and staff cuts over the past several years, which are planned to continue.
“We have been making reductions in our staff and cutting our costs in various places to try to extend the money we have and to delay asking for any new money,” Beers said. “We have to have the renewal to keep operating the way we are, even with the cuts that we’ve been making. Since it’s a renewal, it’s no additional taxes and we feel that that is important.”
Beers thought it significant to note a school bond issue will be coming off of taxes by the end of this year.
“2012 is the last calendar year taxpayers will have to pay on a school bond issue that was passed in May of 1994,” said Treasurer Michele Tullai, adding it was a $20,450,000, 3-mill bond issue and collects approximately $100 annually for every $100,000 of property value.
“So, the amount of a person’s taxes going to the schools should actually go down when that comes off,” Beers added.
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Levy's : 2/22/2012
I am sick of the constant levy's. ALWAYS on a ballot. Try one time per year in November. That is it. Period. It would cut costs, and you might get a good response. This constant begging is annoying. I will vote for this current one IF you communicate that you will change your approach. Contact me if you want some real discussion.
Gary Fishback
