Levy:
Myths and Facts
WestonkaBeSmart.com is not advising taxpayers how to vote on the Levy, but, the following data may be helpful for your decision making process.
MYTH # 9: Levy Ballot Question 1 is “a no-tax-increase 10-year renewal of an existing operating levy”
FACT: If Ballot Question 1 is approved, IT CERTAINLY IS A TAX INCREASE, because WITHOUT voter approval of the levy ballot question, your taxes will GO DOWN by the following amounts:
The 2003 voter approved excess operating levy currently in effect in the Westonka School District is NOT shown in the above table. If you live in a $300,000 home, the current annual bill for the 2003 levy is $162 through the calendar year 2012.
In January 2013, by law, the 2003 10 year levy will expire which reduces the tax bill by $162. per year on a home valued at $300,000. If the November 8, 2011 Ballot Question for a renewal of a 10 year operating levy is approved, the annual tax bill will increase by $162 starting in calendar year 2013, assuming you live in a $300,000 home and also assuming a district wide flat market value tax base for analytical purposes.
MYTH # 10: We pay the lowest annual school taxes in Hennepin County.
Fact: This is very misleading because Westonka uses a hypothetical example of a $300,000 home. Home values are so diverse from one school district to another that an ‘apples-to-apples’ comparison is impossible. Furthermore, Westonka’s chart was not prepared by Hennepin County Taxpayer Services, as Westonka officials claimed.
FACT: True value is measured by comparing taxpayer provided revenue per student with neighboring school districts. As you can see below, Westonka receives a fairly high amount of revenue per student compared to neighboring districts.
When you review the annual school taxes chart supplied by Westonka Schools, we find it to be
incredibly insulting to infer that Westonka taxpayers do not adequately support our schools.
The facts show that we do generously support our schools. Westonka taxpayers currently provide
$ 1,489.67 per student, per year, in voter approved excess levies.
The facts: A few districts are higher, but, significantly more districts operate with much less.
ITEM # 11: Review Westonka Licensed Employee Salaries [click here]
Courtesy of the St Paul Pioneer PressMYTH # 12: Westonka schools are under-funded.
Fact: In 2009, board members David Botts and Ann Bremer voted for a board approved $5,400,000.00 OPEB Bond (Other Post Employee Benefits) bond which taxpayers pay for via
increased property taxes over 14 years. Prior to this initiative, OPEB costs had always been funded within the district’s general fund operating budget. Students see zero benefit of this added tax, as it covers retired teacher health insurance costs. The OPEB bond amounts to double taxation for OPEB and furthermore, it is taxation without representation because taxpayers were not allowed to vote on the measure.
Only 13% of school districts in the entire State of Minnesota choose to ‘take advantage’ of this legislative loophole for board approved OPEB bonds before the State Legislature closed the loop hole. Candidates Gary Hejna and Tom Notch did not support this measure and Don Mailey has publicly expressed that he would not have supported a board approved OPEB initiative.
| ||||||
