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December 15, 2009

T-town residents question large tax levy increase

Bill Grimes

TEUTOPOLIS — Taxes are going up in the Teutopolis Unit 50 School District, and a number of citizens attended Monday’s Unit 50 board meeting to find out why.

More than a dozen area residents attended the a hearing on a 12 percent levin increase before Monday’s regular monthly board meeting. Truth-in-Taxation hearings must be held any time a taxing body wishes to raise its levy more than 5 percent in any single year. The Unit 50 board had passed a tentative levy last month in which the district would collect 12 percent more than it did this year. As a result of such a dramatic levy increase, the district’s tax rate is increasing from $3.73 per $100 equalized assessed valuation to $3.89 per $100.

District officials have said the increase resulted from the need to pay for a geothermal climate control project completed at Teutopolis Grade School last summer.

While most truth-in-taxation hearings are sparsely attended, Monday’s was an exception. This meeting lasted 35 minutes, far longer than the 15 minutes allotted.

One speaker questioned why the school district would spend so much on a building it does not own. Unit 50 leases the grade school building from the adjacent St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

“My concern is that we’re spending this money on property we don’t own,” the speaker said. “I don’t understand that.”

Superintendent Dan Niemerg said the school district is paying far less to the church than it would in mortgage payments to own the building outright. Moreover, Niemerg said, church officials have signed an agreement to rebuild the school in case of disaster.

Another speaker urged the board fight for teacher salary freezes in the next contract between the Teutopolis Education Association teachers union and the school district.

“With the economy the way it is, it’s a good idea to put a cap on all administrative and teacher salaries,” the man said.

“Teachers are pretty blessed in this school district,” the man added. “They have better jobs than 95 percent of the people paying their salaries.”

Board member Gene Niemerg said there is an alternative to higher taxes.

“We could tax less if we cut programs,” he said. “That’s the only way we could do it.”

Gene Niemerg also said the district’s tax rate could decrease with an increase in the district’s total estimated assessed valuation that would outstrip the district’s financial needs. Such an increase is typically tied to development, whether residential, commercial or industrial.

“If we built a lot of houses, everybody would pay less,” he said.

In other action Monday, the board accepted the resignation of assistant high school girls tennis coach Amy Oseland and agreed to advertise for the position.

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