Thursday, September 11, 2008

Germantown School Board Ignores Voters’ Message

Wow. 

The Germantown School Board, which had been expected to vote Monday on a November referendum for a new elementary school, is now looking at expanding that referendum project and adding a second referendum question.

According to an agenda issued late today for a special meeting Monday, the board will consider putting two questions on the Nov. 4 ballot:

A referendum authorizing the School District to borrow up to $22.5 million. That money would build a fifth elementary school and make safety and technology upgrades to all of the district’s existing schools, said Superintendent Ken Rogers.

That is a change from an April referendum proposal that was defeated by 55% of voters. That measure, for $16.5 million, was only to build the new elementary school.

A second referendum question would authorize the district to exceed revenue limits by $750,000 per year.

That money would pay for the operating expenses of the new school, Rogers said.

So let me get this straight… the voters reject a $16.5 million school referendum.  So the school board comes back the next year and wants to put up a $22.5 million referendum PLUS a referendum asking for another $750,000 PER YEAR.

Wow.  Just wow.  The members of the Germantown School Board have zero respect for the voters of their village.

(9) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1854 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. I voted against the last one - and I see I’m going to have to call up all my friends and neighbors to get out and vote against this one as well.

    For those of you who don’t know Germantown - we always have to vote against something three times before they actually get the message.

    You really have to wonder what the school board is thinking. “We must not have put enough money on that last referendum. Ah, yeah - let’s add more money! That will get it it to pass!”

    Dunderheads.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 11, 2008 at 2019 hrs


  2. “Safety and technology upgrages” is a new tactic within school districts to recover money for other inefficiencies.

    Why would you finance technology through a referendum? Taxpayers will be paying for a computer 15 years after you have tossed it out with other obsolete stuff. Why not go to Rent-A-Center for a better deal instead? (kidding, but just barely-Rent-A-Center may be a better bargain in the long run)

    Look for “technology upgrades” to be the new buzzword for fix-all from school districts.

    If it passes, then you have the right School Board. If it doesn’t, and I don’t think it will, they it is time to clean house. But that won’t happen either.

    Conservative candidates get no support from the brotherhood or sisterhood of fellow “conservatives.” They are about as useless as the folks standing in line to get “flood relief” in Milwaukee. Bitch, moan, and write emails or blogs. The safest bet to make is that they will never show up at meetings.

    Hence: Another stinker of a referendum in 6 months. You deserve and earned it voters. Bon Appetite!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 11, 2008 at 2026 hrs


  3. Doesn’t Germantown want to leave MATC to go to another community college district because of cost?  And now they propose these referendums?  Something doesn’t smell right there.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 11, 2008 at 2246 hrs


  4. Sounds like West Bend…

    Citizen input was ignored. The 500+ families who signed petitions that requested to be respected were ignored.

    http://www.wbcommunityinfo.blogspot.com/

    When school board elections roll around, do the RIGHT thing.

    Posted by GAMazy on September 12, 2008 at 0520 hrs


  5. Learn the facts.  Our taxes are going up MORE if we don’t support the school.  Getting rid of kindergarden (besides impacting kids’ education) will DECREASE goverment money coming into Germantown and we will lose up to $2 mil per year.  Guess who pays for that - THE TAXPAYER.  We will have a SMALLER increase in taxes when we build a new school.  No one wants higher taxes - let’s understand the situation before making assumptions about how this will affect us.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 17, 2008 at 1321 hrs


  6. Bonnie,

    Where do you think that $2 million comes from?  TAXPAYERS.  And you don’t HAVE to make up the $2 million.  By going to half day, you don’t have to pay as many people to work the afternoon if the kids aren’t there.

    Posted by Owen on September 17, 2008 at 1409 hrs


  7. Don’t want to push any panic buttons here, but believe me, no one is going to be in the mood for any tax increase, even if there is merit to it.  When people start getting their winter heating bills or get their September investment statements, all bets are off.  The DOW dumped 450 today.

    Last year I was pro-West Bend referendum, I’m trying to be this year, but it is getting harder.  Probably should have been addressed a long time ago, but as far as I am concerned, out of respect for the average property owner, all the school boards should call off the referenda questions until people can figure out where the heck they stand financially - if people feel like someone has poked a stick in one eye, they aren’t going to consent to having someone poke a stick in the other eye.

    Hate to bring up so much on an old post, maybe one of these days Owen can start a new one.

    Why am I so pessimistic?  My wife was recently at a meeting where delinquent taxes for Washington County was mentioned & the numbers she mentioned were astonishing to me (she admitted that she may have “misheard”).  So, I started poking around on the tax look-up for a few selected newer subdivisions in West Bend - one in particular where I recalled that there were several foreclosures pending.  Most of the houses are less than 3 years old, and at least half of the developed lots are empty.  I found 3 homes with total fair market value of $1,052,600 that have a total of $19,417 in unpaid property taxes for 2008.  I found 3 homes with total fair market value of $618,000 and unpaid taxes totaling $10,976.  There is a home valued at $199,800 with a partial amount of $1774 unpaid.  That is $32,167 in unpaid property taxes in just one subdivision.

    Owen, if you need ideas for a column or future posts, hit me up with an email - this trend is going to play major havoc for the muncipality budgets - granted they will get their money some day - they do have “first” position, but what good is income if it isn’t realized.  I predict a major uptick in “mil” rates that are going to send people into the strastophere.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 17, 2008 at 1623 hrs


  8. Mht..you hit the nail on the head.  What I have been trying to say all along about the WB referendum.

    Sure, we have to take care of “necessities”...  So let’s do just THAT.  Don’t risk LOSING the referendum because we got GREEDY to add a new Jackson school or some high-tech, unnecessary security systems so we can “look good.” 

    Give people a CHOICE about a new school.

    Take care of the “have to’s.”

    People will NOT APPRECIATE being hit any harder than they already are.

    I tried, too, to justify the WB referendum and give it a chance.  Fiscally, it just is not going to fly with the economics this nation is suffering through right now.

    I am voting NO to the WB referendum.  They are asking for too much.

    Posted by GAMazy on September 17, 2008 at 1630 hrs


  9. Glad you agree, Mrs. Mazy.  I guess I want to iterate that even if a proposed referenda (I don’t want to single out any particular one) is as prudent as it can be, unless it is necessary to take care of things that if left done, affect the intergrity of the facilities (i.e, roof, boilers) it needs to be off the table.

    I see these unpaid taxes as kind of a “dashboard” indicator - one of these days the “check engine” light will go on, but then the engine is going to seize up.

    Look at it this way - I identified 3 house with annual tax bills of $6019/$6663/$6735.  Probably my social circle skews a click or two above low-rent, but I don’t know too many people that would willingly take on a $500 to $600 a month tax payment, even if they can get the house for a lower cost.

    One of the dreaded consequences of the market situation is a severe tightening up of credit - so even if someone can get the house at a discount, where are they going to get the financing?

    Going back to my circle, I don’t know too many people that have the financial cajones to buy these discounted properties for cash, either.

    So, looking at “demographics” and the local “market”, who is going to step up to the plate and make up the shortfall?  Methinks no one.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 17, 2008 at 1651 hrs


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