Profound letter on school funding- Listen up all- es[pecially seniors!

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Letter: Levies must fail so our voices will be heard
Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 5:15 PM EST
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To the Editor:

I've been very upset about the levy passing and my letter to the editor never got published. I don't plan to ever vote "yes" for another school levy as long as the funding for the schools comes from only property owners. I can't think of any other form of taxation that is as unfair.

I believe there should be a school tax based on income. Or people who do not pay property taxes should not be allowed to vote on a levy.

I'm a single person paying more then 10 percent of my income on property taxes, and now I have to pay another $500. The worst part is knowing every couple of years we'll be asked to give the schools this much more again.



I've only been here four years and the school taxes have gone up $1,000. I most likely will have to move. Right after the levy passed, six homes within a quarter-mile of me have gone up for sale.

Right now, 21 percent of households in Westerville, who rent, pay no school taxes. I've heard the argument that their landlord is paying the taxes, but I've looked on the auditor's Web site. I found a nice apartment complex with four units and the owner was paying around $7,500.

I'm a single person in a small older home paying $4,500 a year, most to the schools. If there are eight working adults in those apartments and they all paid that much on school taxes, maybe the schools would have enough and others like me could get a break. It would be interesting to see how many people go to the polls voting "yes" for a school levy when they don't have to pay it.

Because of our economy, 3.35 percent of Westerville homes in Franklin County have not yet paid their last property taxes. That comes up to over 1,000 homes based on 35,500 homes in Westerville schools. It will be worse next year, which means the schools will have less money and need more.

It sounds like the Westerville school board has done as much as it can to keep the cost down although, according to Westerville's financial reports, more than 80 percent of the money collected goes to salaries and benefits. The lowest paid teacher I'm helping to support still makes significantly more than me.

If I'm still here next levy, I'll be trying to organize my own parade for the people against any more school levies. Shame on anyone who didn't get out to vote but was against the levy. Our politicians know how many people are suffering, but nothing changes. I hope eventually every school levy in Ohio fails because that seems to be the only way the leaders with the means will do something.

Nikki Heath





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