Schools discuss new property tax levy
- Published: March 28, 2012
The Yellow Springs school board is considering a new property tax levy for the local district this year to make up for a recent trend of deficit spending. This year the district spent $725,000 in excess of revenue, and at that rate the district will have spent down its cash reserves to zero by the 2014–15 school year.
To avoid being taken into receivership by the state, the school board is proposing a five-year property tax levy, perhaps between 6–7.5 mills, to generate between $750,000 and $850,000 per year. The levy would go on the ballot this November.
Board members are still looking for feedback from residents about how much of a tax increase the community can afford. Here is a chart that shows how much each millage point would cost property owners in the village according to the valuation of their home, as appraised by the Greene County auditor. The chart was prepared by the Yellow Springs schools and used at a recent school board meeting to discuss the proposed parameters of a new levy. The board will discuss the issue again at its next meeting on April 12 at Mills Lawn.
See this week’s News for more on the levy discussion.
Click here for a larger version of the chart below.
2 Responses to “Schools discuss new property tax levy”
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Is this proposed for village residents or for all school district residents (including township)? I haven’t seen that question answered.
I realize that the state has cut school funding, and the legislature refuses to fix the unconstitutional school funding formula that relies on property taxes. School districts are truly between a rock and a hard place – they are receiving less money from the state, with more unfunded mandates than ever, and yet their only option for making up that lost revenue is by asking voters to approve new tax levies. This is an unsustainable system that must be changed. The village is already unaffordable for many, many families – higher property taxes will only exacerbate the problem.
We’re already over our heads with our mortgage and hoping to move away, so there’s NO WAY we can vote for another levy. YS is a lovely place to live, but only if you have money.