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E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > August > 20 > Entry
This time the big guns are on board early
Mayor Rhine McLin
At last night’s board meeting the mayor, city commissioners and a host of community leaders rallied around the school board as it placed a 4.9-mill levy on the November ballot.
This was a noticeable change from 2007, when it took weeks for the city commission to formally endorse the 15.17-mill levy try and the chamber of commerce only grudgingly signed on after demanding data and meetings with school officials over more than a month of discussions.
In 2007, the board’s huge levy request left everyone shocked and more than a few key Dayton players dismayed. A quick consensus formed that there was no way voters would pass such a big levy. A lot of people were ticked off the school board put them in what they viewed as an impossible position of having to anger a huge swath of economically troubled constituents in order to support the schools.
This time things were different. Interim Superintendent Kurt Stanic immediately began courting Mayor Rhine McLin to co-chair the levy campaign upon his arrival here this summer. But McLin told him flat out that she would not support any levy bigger than 5 mills. That was even a little less than what Stanic wanted — he was shooting to keep the levy under six mills. But he had to go lower to get McLin.
So now the fun begins. For the average home valued at about $59,000, the new taxes will be about $96 a year if the levy passes. School officials were quick to point out that is about $8 a month, an amount they hope voters can stomach even in hard times. The players are in place and the political season kicks off in earnest after Labor Day.
What do you think? Will this smaller levy make it this time?
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By calvin
August 24, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
Richard, I am talking about your selective memory of vote count problems and could only recall Republicans. Remember the tactics of democrats, some of which I posted for your convenience of memory.
By Richard
August 23, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this
What are you talking about Calvin?!
By laura
August 23, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this
OK, Richard, the rumor mills are running rampant regarding the DEA election but my money says Ms. Lynch will retain her crown. DPS teachers are notorious for liking things “status quo”. I know of numerous incidents where Ms. Lynch failed to support teachers. Too many people are afraid to show support for a specific candidate for fear of retaliation if their person doesn’t get elected.
By Alwazaprincess
August 23, 2008 5:19 PM | Link to this
Richard I find the comment “The Dayton�s teacher union is having to do their presidential elections over again. Seems the president, Pat Lynch �rigged� the election” quite slanderous. Ms. Lynch had nothing to do with the election process. She wasn’t even involved in counting the votes. An independent lawyer sent by OEA found nothing of the sort when he investigated. It is so sad that people like you make comments about things of which they truly have no knowledge of and only do so to be ugly or start ugly rumors. Kind of makes me wonder if someone put you up to the comment.
By Calvin
August 23, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
As for vote problems, move over Mayor Daly, Chicago, from Kennedy on and move over Al Gore et al Florida — recount only the democrat counties hoping to feign vote fraud and ignore the Republican counties!!! Selective recount??? Or planned error in method.
By Richard
August 23, 2008 12:01 AM | Link to this
My apologies Buford. You’re right, most of the Blogers don’t even know that there is a supreme court let alone that they have told the Governors of the past and legislators to fix funding four times. We adults owe the children of Dayton the support needed to achieve the goals that we want them to achieve. It cannot happen any other way. I will vote yes for the children because someone voted yes for you and me when we were in school.
By Buford
August 22, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
Don’t recall posting anything about “adults I don’t like” in any of my missives. I have supported DPS for now over 20 years with my property taxes. Problem is the primary funding source/decisions made by the State Supreme Court concerning that source, and ten years of a sucession of Governors and elected officials ignoring those four decisions. My belief is that so long as people continue to approve levys based on property taxes, little will be done to change the system. At least I have been sending missives to the Governor and to elected officials concerning the funding - more action perhaps than many have done.
By Richard
August 22, 2008 3:11 PM | Link to this
The Dayton’s teacher union is having to do their presidential elections over again. Seems the president, Pat Lynch “rigged” the election. Move over Kathleen Harris, (Florida Sec. of State) and Ken Blackwell.
By Richard
August 22, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
Buford & Co. So in your miniture mind, not supporting the education of the cities children is your way of getting back at the adults that you don’t like? Great move!
By Scott Elliott
August 22, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this
I pulled the McLin picture from an archive of blog photos I’ve used before. I actually don’t know where I got it from, but it clearly is a snap shot not a professional retouched photo. I don’t know how old it is, but it didn’t strike me as wildly out of date. Only after the comment here did I even notice that she might be a little younger in the picture.
By Calvin
August 22, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
Where did Scott get this baby picture of McLin? It’s awful the way people publish old photos of politicians. It’s like if they look 25 years younger, they are more effective at governing for the real benefit of the people; with McLin and city government it ain’t going to happen. Politics, yes; improvement, no.
By Buford
August 22, 2008 6:54 AM | Link to this
(Information from www.ode.state.oh.us the Ohio State Department of Education website, as of 18 Aug 08 for the school year just passed.) DPS enrollment was 15,825 students (down from 26,000 plus, years ago, or roughly 61 percent of the students as in the past) and for which the per student cost is $13,531 - the highest cost in any major school district around. Columbus per student cost was $12,653; Cleveland was $12,213; Akron was $10,421; Toledo was $11,320; Cincinnati was $12,550; and Lakota/Butler was $8,518 per student. Attendance was the worst in DPS compared to those same school districts and DPS had only met two of 30 educational/rated standards - the lowest compliance number of the districts checked/compared.
By Concerned Mom of 3
August 22, 2008 12:07 AM | Link to this
I think we can all agree that the economy in Dayton is on the dismal side. But the unconstitutional fact remains- schools are currently funded with property taxes. Dayton public schools needs the funds in order to operate. In my opinion, the amount the district is asking for is reasonable. I would not have supported the levy had I not seen some much needed changes in teaching staff and administrative staff. Stanic has made the right kinds of changes in the district… If he says Dayton needs the funds, I will support the effort. (Even if it is not easy for our family and we have to make some sacrafices.) To me, education is worth the investment.
By BJ
August 21, 2008 11:17 PM | Link to this
I agree with Buford, Bobby, and Melanie. How can Dayton afford to support another levy. Yes, it is much lower and a reasonable request, but another increase in my property taxes is just an impossibility. My pension check does not increase along with the esculating cost of living as it is. Investments are not increasing, interest on savings accounts, CD’s is almost at .0%. I have worked all my life to have what I have earned. I do not want to lose it because my property taxes go up faster than my income. Sorry DPS like most home owners in Dayton, we cannot afford any increase in taxes. Trim more fat from your payroll. Get rid of all the “sacred cows” that have no productivity within the school system. You may have your milage right there. Members of the Board need to look to the State or Federal government to help support education. I can no longer afford it.
By bobby
August 21, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
The mayor receives property tax abatement on her house on Paul Laurence Dunbar.
By Buford
August 20, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this
A few days ago, I received notice that Vectren was jumping my level billing essentially 20 percent for the next year and due to increased costs of natural gas. DPL is apparently headed up a tad. Food has gone up roughly 15 percent or so in the last six or seven months. Homeowners are going to start paying more taxes in January due to the Human Services Levy recently passed. Health care costs keep going up. Repair costs are more. Gas for vehicles still well past $3.50 a gallon. Smaller raises, if any at all. Elected officials, who just might have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution - now are apparently aligned in favor of a matter ruled unconstitutional four times by the State Supreme Court. Unemployment up in Dayton, hundreds of properties in foreclosure. More potential job losses looming within a year or so. Yep, it is a good time to stick out the hand and squeeze property owners one more time.
By bobby
August 20, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this
The host of community leaders are the usual group of nonprofits that pay no property taxes. When the hospitals and UD start paying for their fair share, [Sinclair,Human Services,Public schools] their support will be meaningfull. This group never saw a property tax levy they didn’t like.
By Melanie
August 20, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this
Yes we need the levy badly in dayton public schools but right now our economy is horrible. Many people will need to decide between meals on the table, paying the house mortgage, dpl bills, vectren, phone, etc. Most people own a 100,000 dollar home so it will be more then $8.00 a month.