[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Referendum Language in 281

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Referendum Language in 281
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1218943297.shtml


   A number of Minnesota's public school districts will be seeking
   additional property tax revenue via referendums on the November 2008
   ballot. My own District 281 (Robbinsdale) is one of them. To be fair,
   the Board and the Administration were inclined to wait until 2009,
   given the observed lower approval rates in Presidential election
   years. They are honoring the input received during its recently
   completed Strategic Planning process, plus a submitted petition from
   the [1]Unite 281 group.
   Consensus on the ballot questions was reached at the District 281
   Board Work Session on August 11th, and is now on the August 18th
   Regular Board Meeting agenda for adoption. [2]As proposed, there are
   two questions. The first replaces the existing 10 year operating levy
   adopted in 2001 with a new, higher 7 year levy.

                     SCHOOL DISTRICT BALLOT QUESTION 1

                    REVOKING EXISTING REFERENDUM REVENUE

                 AUTHORIZATION; APPROVING NEW AUTHORIZATION

     The board of Independent School District No. 281 (Robbinsdale Area
     Schools) has proposed to revoke the school districtâs existing
     referendum revenue authorization of $848.25 per pupil and to
     replace that authorization with a new authorization of $1,360.35
     per pupil. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would
     increase each year by the rate of inflation and be applicable for
     seven years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.
     Shall the school districtâs existing referendum revenue
     authorizations be revoked and the increase in the revenue proposed
     by the board of Independent School District No. 281 be approved?
     
                     SCHOOL DISTRICT BALLOT QUESTION 2

                        APPROVAL OF SCHOOL DISTRICT

                      REFERENDUM REVENUE AUTHORIZATION

     The board of Independent School District No. 281 (Robbinsdale Area
     Schools) has also proposed to increase its general education
     revenue by $119.46 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue
     authorization would be applicable for seven years unless otherwise
     revoked or reduced as provided by law.
     If School District Ballot Question 1 is approved, shall the
     increase proposed by the board of Independent School District No.
     281 also be approved?

   You'll note that Question 1 has an inflationary adjustment, meaning
   that the levy can be raised much like a cost of living adjustment
   ("COLA") clause does in employment contracts. This is further
   explained in the Resolution text, "the annual inflationary increase
   calculated under Minnesota Statutes, Section 126C.17, Subdivision 2,
   paragraph (b)." [3]To wit::
   For purposes of this subdivision, for fiscal year 2005 and later,
       "inflationary increase" means one plus the percentage change in
       the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers, as prepared by the
       United States Bureau of Labor Standards, for the current fiscal
       year to fiscal year 2004. For fiscal years 2009 and later, for
       purposes of paragraph (a), clause (1), the inflationary increase
       equals the inflationary increase for fiscal year 2008 plus
       one-fourth of the percentage increase in the formula allowance for
       that year compared with the formula allowance for fiscal
       year 2008.

   I can't get through these words to do the math, but it sure looks to
   me that this means the CPI you and I know plus something more,
   something most voters will not know.
   Again, this is proposed, not adopted, but I feel the need to make one
   more comment. No matter the intent, that second question to add still
   more to the levy could bring trouble later. Based on what happened in
   another district, I fear that the voters might infer that they won't
   see another referendum for the stated 7 years of these referendums. As
   I look at the projections, that doesn't seem likely.

References

   1. http://www.unite281.org/uploads/Unite_281_Petition.pdf
   2. http://www.rdale.k12.mn.us/dist/includes/uploads/agendaItems/Extract%20A.pdf
   3. https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=126C.17