Published: July 8, 2015
By: Jacque Ryan, WKVI
The North Judson School Board unanimously approved a
resolution requesting a property tax levy referendum during their most recent
meeting. The board has recently received some criticism about doing this now
rather than during a regular election year.
Superintendent Lynn Johnson discussed the importance of
implementing this referendum as soon as possible, “If we do not do it in this
fall, and waited until May or the following November when there are elections
scheduled we would not get any new monies until July first of 2017 and that is
way too late because we would not have the money that we need to get through
2016.”
The referendum itself will need public approval when it goes
to the ballot in November of this year. Johnson wanted to make it very clear
that though the price is initially higher it will decrease during the 7 years
the referendum is in place, “The referendum amount for year one is 47 cents per
that $100 unit. Now years 2 through 7 our debt service levy is paid off so
since that is paid off we can re purpose that debt and will reduce that 47
cents to 27 cents.”
Superintendent Johnson said that this whole process will
cost approximately $28,000. The school has employed the council of Umbaugh and
Associates to prepare tax information and comparisons for $6,000. The School’s
Bond Council is Thomas Peterson who works with the school through the
Department of Local Government Finance. Curt Pletcher has been hired to assist
with consulting services and political strategy. Both men are being paid $5,000
each. The remaining $12,000 will be spent for various election costs such as
renting out required voting spaces, hiring workers and other costs associated
with the election itself. The campaigning efforts and public education prior to
the election must be funded through the Political Action Committee, rather than
through the school.
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