The revenue drops amount to millions annually for the three.
The joint resolution, while entirely symbolic, could have the effect of rallying other cities and school boards to protest state mandates without the funding to support them, they noted.
“If other communities come together as we have, imagine the impact it can have,” Vandalia Mayor Arlene Setzer said. “We have tried to keep our services, but there’s a point where we cannot.”
For school board member Bruce Sucher, it’s been a story of trying to fund a curriculum often driven by state mandates that have come without the funding necessary to support them.
“It’s important we do this to let our state reps know that all three (public entities) stand united,” Sucher said.
Doug Orange, Butler Twp. Board of Trustees president, estimated the hit from tax cuts at $700,000 to $800,000 annually. “We’ve tried to provide services and the state has taken money away,” he said. “We’ve tried to find revenue to offset that.”
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