Editor:
A smart voter is an informed voter. Find out where your hard earned tax dollars are being spent. The United Local School District has received well over $5,004,849 in extra tax dollars in just the past six years.
ULSD extra taxes are a one mill levy, a three mill levy, and a 1/2 percent income tax levy. These three “extra taxes” are over and above your regular assessed property taxes.
This $5,004,839 in extras taxes has been more than enough money to replace or repair anything that levy proponents claim to be “really old.”
The administration’s own published estimate for a new boiler was just $175,000. A whole lot less than the $9.7 million that the board, administration and committee are telling us they want as our share. A new boiler could easily have been installed and still have money left over from just one year of revenue from the three extra taxes..
Let’s do some more homework.. In 2006 the board wanted “more of your money without asking”, so they arbitrarily added the one mill levy. This one mill extra tax is called an “inside levy” that you, the voters, did not get to vote on.
In fiscal year (FY) 2011, this extra one mill levy generated $130,461.54 for ULSD. Now multiply this $130,461.54 by the 3.92 levy that the board, administration, and committee wants now and it amounts an additional $511,409.23 per year (based on current property values).
Multiply this by 37 years and you get a whopping $18,922,141 — not even close to the $9.7 million being touted in the propaganda.. Almost $19 million dollars? How do you explain that — is it something they overlooked or just something else they don’t want you to know?
The administration and committee have said they want the most up-to-date technology available, but have not bought one iPad or iPad 2 for the school (just keep buying books).
Speaking of up-to-date technology, 10 years ago you could not get a college degree via the Internet, now they are common place at almost every university.
As fast as the field of technology is changing, updating and advancing, it is very questionable that the ULSD or any school district will be in existence in the next 10 to 15 years. Your entire education will be supplied via the Internet. No more yellow buses, no teachers, no board, no administration — just a computer. Get informed, get out and vote..
E. Lee Stamp
Winona, Ohio
