tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post8900833110093669195..comments2023-06-24T10:52:34.846-04:00Comments on EducateHilliard.com: Putting It TogetherPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-60520700651258603002012-04-04T14:56:15.466-04:002012-04-04T14:56:15.466-04:00Indeed, and I talk about the size of the team in t...Indeed, and I talk about the size of the team in the <a href="http://savethehilliardschools.blogspot.com/2012/04/funding-or-spending.html" rel="nofollow">the following story</a>.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-52178302710871494482012-04-04T14:49:43.342-04:002012-04-04T14:49:43.342-04:00If, along with increasing compensation, we also lo...If, along with increasing compensation, we also look at how many employees we actually need, we just might mitigate some of that need to raise taxes. Seeing as how employee growth has far exceeded student growth, seems this might be something to look at. Doing more with less is the new business model, at least in the private sector.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-83737932909598826902012-03-18T06:01:27.203-04:002012-03-18T06:01:27.203-04:00As I've said before, unless the intention is t...As I've said before, unless the intention is to never again give a salary increase to the teachers, staff and administrators, at some point we'll almost certainly need to put an issue on the ballot to raise taxes. <br /><br />While the so-called HB920 mechanism prevents taxes from increasing (and decreasing) automatically with property values (which I think is a good thing), it simultaneously carries with it the responsibility that each community have periodic conversations about whether the spending budget should increase, and if so, where the money is going to come from.<br /><br />I'm not trying to sell the idea of an income tax - I'm just putting it on the table as an option to consider. Compared with taxes based on property values, income taxes have both positives and negatives.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-67195449832562783292012-03-17T20:07:28.665-04:002012-03-17T20:07:28.665-04:00Westerville was the first to try an income tax com...Westerville was the first to try an income tax component to their financial problems with a defeat of epic proportions.I would think Hilliard would experience much the same result if put on the ballot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-65599817844867507252012-03-15T13:46:51.295-04:002012-03-15T13:46:51.295-04:00"The remainder of the annual growth - about $..."The remainder of the annual growth - about $350,000/yr - is all the other things the districts spends money on, such as utilities, diesel fuel, and consumable supplies."<br /><br /><br />Gosh, I thought sports, music and art were going up $7m/yr and responsible for all the levies!<br /><br /><br />Sorry, Pablo...my type brake failed. cecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11548542220141470477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-6308684740244377992012-03-04T22:50:45.543-05:002012-03-04T22:50:45.543-05:00T... It's an interesting situation.
Most gove...T... It's an interesting situation.<br /><br />Most governments in this country, including the federal, state, and city governments, are funded predominately by income taxes on individuals and corporations. So when income goes up, revenue goes up too. No new votes have to be taken - it's just automatic.<br /><br />So during the boom times of the past couple of decades, tax revenue just kept climbing, and governments were able to crank up spending pretty aggressively. They used some of that growing pot of money to buy and build stuff, but a lot of it was used to hire more people, give raises, and sweeten benefits - notably retirement programs.<br /><br />Contrast that to school districts, which are funded by property taxes in most parts of the country. And here in Ohio, there's another wrinkle: because of HB920, passed back in the 1970s, a property tax levy collects a fixed dollar amount on a given piece of property regardless of what happens to the market value of that property over time.<br /><br />Most public education professionals think HB920 is a bad thing. I don't. I've said for years that I appreciate the fact that funding to school districts doesn't automatically increase with property values, and that I think it's a good thing that if a school district wants to get more money to spend, it needs to make its case to the voters.<br /><br />The primary purpose of any new levy is to fund the growth in personnel costs - there are many articles on this blog which make that point. At times when the student population is growing, we need more money to fund the cost of new teachers and staff. In most years, we need to fund the cost of base pay increases as well as step increases for the existing staff.<br /><br />It's pretty clear to me that we'll be lucky if our state funding grows much at all on a per-student basis. I've said many times that I think we'll be lucky if it remains the same, but the indications are that it will continue to erode.<br /><br />So unless it is the will of the voters of this community to demand that teachers and staff freeze their compensation and benefits costs for the foreseeable future (and if that's the case, they had better elect school board members who will carry out that mandate), we'll need more revenue at some point. <br /><br />I'm simply putting on the table some alternatives to the standard old perpetual property tax like we used for decades.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-89620451370124906212012-03-04T20:20:41.322-05:002012-03-04T20:20:41.322-05:00Paul, this is one idea of yours that I hope does n...Paul, this is one idea of yours that I hope does not get a second....Tnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-34584314255005793652012-03-04T18:00:30.561-05:002012-03-04T18:00:30.561-05:00Correction: In the comment above I said "I...Correction: In the comment above I said "<em>I'd argue that local <strong>income</strong> taxes are the most efficient mechanism</em>."<br /><br />I mean to say "<em>I'd argue that <strong>local taxes</strong> are the most efficient mechanism</em>"<br /><br />It doesn't matter whether they are property or income taxes - the revenue from both stay in the community.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-15571912285517128842012-03-03T09:57:29.569-05:002012-03-03T09:57:29.569-05:00It's the same as for a property tax levy. The ...It's the same as for a property tax levy. The school board passes the appropriate resolutions, and the tax issue is put on the ballot for consideration by the voters.<br /><br />A school income tax applies to all residents of the district, regardless of where they work. This is the inverse of a city income tax, which is paid by folks who work in the city, regardless of where they live.<br /><br />And just to be clear, I'm not a fan of income taxes or any taxes for that matter. But if we're going to have public schools, and we plan to give raises at some point to the teachers, staff and administrators, they'll have to be funded with taxes of some kind, and I'd argue that local income taxes are the most efficient mechanism for communities like ours, because 100% of the taxes collected stay here.<br /><br />I'll not give up on <a href="http://www.savehilliardschools.org/Impact.htm" rel="nofollow">Impact Fees</a> as a mechanism for funding the need for new buildings should we get another surge in population. Right now, Ohio law doesn't allow school districts to assess an impact fee, but municipalities can, and the City of Hilliard does.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-80807656421317319502012-03-03T09:13:26.402-05:002012-03-03T09:13:26.402-05:00So, just for the sake of argument, of course.... ...So, just for the sake of argument, of course.... what is the process for implementing an income tax? It goes on the HCSD election ballot and then applies to whomever works in the district? or lives in the district? <br /><br />Thank you!!!! For continuting to think about our kids' future and telling us what path we are currently on.cehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11548542220141470477noreply@blogger.com