Article in the County Star for which I was interviewed. She failed to include my comments about voter suppression, and how the district should use the same cost saving ingenuity to adjust their budget for the referendum projects.
23% tax increaseLetter to the Editor (Unpublished):
Re: School district tax to increase by 23% To those who believe they will see a nominal increase in property tax with the passage of the Cambridge-Isanti bond referendum: Take a look at the Total Tax Impact Assessment on the school district’s website. Whether or not the bond issue passes, the district will be taking more of your hard-earned dollars. If passed, school district taxes will increase by 23.5% on my $75,000 residential property. Outrageous! Here are some facts released in the ISD 911 News. In 2014 the district will collect an additional $3 million in board-approved operating levies, another $3 million for an alternative facilities bond, and $10 million with the referendum approval. Even with these additional revenue sources, some other necessary projects will remain unfunded! And so the district keeps taking from you, Taxpayer, as if you have bottomless pockets, when it already receives over $40 million in your state and federal taxes. What about the children, you say? Absolutely, I believe our school buildings should be up to code and ADA compliant. Perhaps by adjusting the current budget, the district can find the funds to address the most pressing issues. What a fantastic opportunity to teach students about money, fiscal responsibility, prioritizing, sacrifice, and not always getting everything you want. KariMae Faulkner Cambridge, MN Facebook: C-I Dare to Just Vote No |
icing on the cakeLetter to the Editor (Published):
Re: Ten Million Dollar Icing on the Cake Are you aware that the Cambridge-Isanti School District will collect approximately $6 million in new tax revenue next year? Yes, regardless of the bond referendum vote results, you will be taxed for additional board-approved operating levies and alternative facilities bonds. If the referendum is approved, the total annual tax impact for residential properties of $100,000; $200,000; and $300,000 will see property tax increases of $107, $228, and $349 respectively. Quite a difference from the $14, $35, and $56 bond portion numbers which may be familiar to you. From what I can gather from the district’s newsletter, they can issue non voter-approved alternative facilities bonds for items that pose health and safety risks. Then truly urgent matters could be addressed through school board approval instead of by taxpayer vote. The district is set to get $3,065,000 in alternative facilities bonds (source: Springsted.com). Additionally, next year you will see a $512 per student levy on our property taxes, which equates to another $3 million. After those revenue sources, the district is asking you for another $10 million. But apparently, even that won’t be enough to address their list of projects. So it’s only a matter of time before the district comes back asking for more. Perhaps by adjusting the current budget, the district can find the funds to address the most pressing issues. What a fantastic opportunity to teach students about money, taxes, fiscal responsibility, prioritizing, sacrifice, and not always getting everything you want. The Ten Million Dollar Question we should be answering on November 5th : “Are your pockets deep enough for the school district’s hands?” KariMae Faulkner Cambridge, MN Facebook: C-I Dare to Just Vote No |