Voters to decide on MCCSC funding, tax caps

While candidates make their final campaign stops in an attempt to pick up the last few votes before Tuesday’s election, some Indiana organizations have directed their focus to the two public questions on this year’s ballot.

In Bloomington, this year’s ballot includes a referendum and an amendment to the Indiana Constitution, both of which could have serious implications for community members and taxpayers.

INDIANA PROPERTY TAX CAP AMENDMENT
This amendment to the Indiana Constitution would limit property taxes to 1 percent for owner-occupied residences, 2 percent for non-owner-occupied residences — including apartments and agricultural land — and 3 percent for any other property.
Even if this amendment is passed, voters can override the tax caps by voting for a referendum that includes property tax
increases.

Why Vote Yes:
“It protects taxpayers and helps keep local government spending in check,” Indiana Republican Party spokesman Trevor Foughty said.
He said it would help homeowners and business owners across the state by keeping their taxes low.
“It also helps provide certainty in the Indiana tax code, which we think will help attract new businesses and residents to the state,” Foughty said.

Why Vote No:
“It’s already law,” Allison Luthe, a community organizer with Central Indiana Jobs with Justice, said. “There’s no reason to put it in the constitution, and it could take up to five years to change.”
Luthe said the amendment would only lower taxes on highly valuable properties. She said most people do not even pay 1 percent of their property’s assessed value in taxes.
“They can change the way property is assessed,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s capped because property values can go up.”

SCHOOL TAX LEVY REFERENDUM
In 2007, a new law gave most of the power to fund schools to the state, and when state revenues fell with the recession, so did school funding.
More than $5 million was cut from the Monroe County Community School Corporation’s budget this year. The effects include lost staffing and diminished support for extracurricular activities.
This referendum would increase property taxes by approximately 0.14 percent for six years.

Why Vote Yes:
“Further budget reductions are going to impede our ability to teach,” John Coopman, MCCSC superintendent, said.
Coopman cited the 70 unfilled teaching positions, increased class sizes and school closure — namely Aurora Alternative High School, which did not reopen for classes this year — as reasons to pass the referendum.
“Quality schools equal a quality community,” he said. “That attracts business development and people moving into the
community.”

Why Vote No:
Steve Hogan, Republican candidate for District 60 of the Indiana State House of Representatives, opposes the MCCSC referendum because he believes the issue ought to be fixed by the state
legislature.
“I think the referendum is a very short-sighted, short-term mandate that isn’t going to even touch what the problem is,” Hogan said. “The problem is the way that school funding is set up in the state level. It’s what I referred to as silos of money.”
Hogan said he wants the legislature to simplify the way schools are funded so that money currently designated for building can be used to run the schools in this economic downturn.
“There’s no reason in the world that the legislature in an emergency act in January can’t free up money for operating costs for schools,” he said.