Middletown Forum : School Tax Issues

School Tax Issues : Property taxes going up

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:09:58 +0000

Author: What A City
Subject: Property taxes going up
Posted: Oct 12 2018 at 9:09am

According to a recent Journal story, it looks like the schools are at it again. It would appear that the levy the yes voters approved a few years ago to build the new elementary schools had some excess money to the tune of 10 million. Somehow, the yes voters approved a 45 million dollar bond levy but they had money left over, which will now go into improving yet another school in this district. No new bond levy is needed, however, your property taxes will still go up based on the information in the story.

And....you have no say in the matter as you will not be allowed to vote on how the additional money is spent.

Now, I don't know how most of you feel about this, but to me, this is exactly what I would expect from a school system that has played games with the voters in the past. It ties into the games being played occasionally at One Donham Plaza by our city leaders at times.

I still don't know what we have gotten for our 45 million for the new elementary schools nor the 96 million spent on the high school addition and the new middle school. The district has gotten everything they have asked for in new facilities but haven't improved at all in attaining better results. That makes the situation a total waste of money to date. We hear the traditional "rah rah" speeches from the new superintendent but see no upward, positive measurable results to date. The school "culture" may be changing but it has yielded no success in the classroom. The scores and indicators have remained the same for the last two decades. Where is all of this upward, "it's getting better" direction we keep hearing about from the superintendent and the school board? What scores are they looking at for them to have this opinion?

When will the yes voters realize they have been scammed and haven't reaped one benefit from their tax dollars? I don't understand why anyone would put money against a losing enterprise. It doesn't make any sense. No levy should be approved without evidence that the money spent so far is helping this district. Otherwise, the schools will remain a money pit for the taxpayers.

School Tax Issues : Middletown Schools: No tax hike

Fri, 20 May 2016 13:08:36 +0000

Author: Joshua
Subject: Middletown Schools: No tax hike
Posted: May 20 2016 at 1:08pm

Great news! As a parent of 5th and 7th grade students in Middletown City Schools I couldn't be more proud.

School Tax Issues : Middletown Schools: No tax hike

Fri, 20 May 2016 11:37:39 +0000

Author: VietVet
Subject: Middletown Schools: No tax hike
Posted: May 20 2016 at 11:37am

Urso:

"“I feel good about the numbers and where we are,” Middletown Board of Education President Chris Urso said after the presentation. “You always want to make sure you are using the taxpayers’ dollars as responsibly as possible.”"

But are we using the taxpayer dollars responsibly? Different ways to look at that statement.

From a "benefits the school's monetary need" standpoint.....perhaps.

From a taxpayer return on investment standpoint.....maybe not. We are constantly taxed for operating levies, continuing levies, emergency levies and for bond money to build their new schools for them. ....but what are we getting for our money? The elementary schools built several years ago should tell us something about return on investment. They get new schools, they get operating money for salaries, etc. We get....what, as a result? Decades old low indicator numbers. Decades old, bottom tier test scores. Bottom rated level when compared to the surrounding school districts. A non-quality school system that turns potential new residents off to locate in Middletown. A high turnover rate in teachers where we are constantly losing our more experienced teachers to the Lakota's, Lebanon's and Springboro's of the school districts while constantly hiring new, younger teachers, so that they too, can use their Middletown experience as a stepping stone to bigger and better things for their careers.

The finances may be as mentioned by the Treasurer and there may be reason to "feel good about the numbers" as Urso states. But, all is not rosy and wonderful in the district on many other fronts. We still have a major performance problem and have had for decades. That can't be satisfying to many who pay into the system and have seen no improvement for many years. The excuses for not performing are wearing mighty thin.

School Tax Issues : Middletown Schools: No tax hike

Fri, 20 May 2016 10:38:19 +0000

Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: Middletown Schools: No tax hike
Posted: May 20 2016 at 10:38am

Posted: 12:00 a.m.Friday, May 20, 2016

Middletown Schools: No tax hike through 2020

ByMichael D. Clark

Staff Write

MIDDLETOWN — Taxpayersin Middletownwon’t see a school tax hike through 2020, school officials said Thursday.

Thenews was part of a five-year financial forecast for Middletown Schools during aspecial meeting of the school board.

Twicea year — in October and May — each of Ohio’s 613 public school districts arerequired by law to provide the state with five-year financial projections thatshow the school systems will maintain solvency.

Middletown’slatest projections show slight improvement from October’s and more importantlycontinue a strong trend in recent years of increasing financial health for thecity schools, Randy Bertram, Middletown Schools treasurer, told the schoolboard’s leadership.

Costsare down and the district’s bond rating from Moody’s private evaluation of Middletown’s finances hasimproved from a grade of “A minus stable” to “A minus positive.”

Moreover,said Bertram, whereas most Ohio districtsspend from 70 percent to 80 percent on labor costs, Middletown is at 37 percent due to years ofcost reductions, early retirement buyouts and outsourcing services, includingmaintenance and busing.

“Thestaffing numbers are way down due to the cuts and the new staff we’re hiring …came in at a much cheaper price,” he said.

Middletown’s annual operatingbudget is $75 million this school year and will drop to $71.3 million for the2016-2017 school year. No budget shortfall is projected until 2020, when a$381,000 deficit in forecast, according to Bertram.

Priorto that year, the district is projected to have operating budget surplusesdecreasing annually from $3.9 million in 2016 to $725,000 in 2019.

“It’sgood to know we are on the right track and things are certainly lookingbetter,” said Bertram, who also pointed out the state’s most recent bienniumbudget has been more generous with education funding for Middletown compared to previous stateallotments.

Votershere last decided on a school tax hike when in May 2014 they barely approved a$55 million bond issue combined with a 0.26-mill permanent improvement levy.Such levy monies are not used for operational budgets but for infrastructure,and the district is building a new middle schooland renovating its high school.

“Ifeel good about the numbers and where we are,” Middletown Board of EducationPresident Chris Urso said after the presentation. “You always want to make sureyou are using the taxpayers’ dollars as responsibly as possible.”

School Tax Issues : TEACHER'S AVERAGE SALARY

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 05:22:50 +0000

Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: TEACHER'S AVERAGE SALARY
Posted: Nov 03 2015 at 5:22am

District name	Middletown City
County	Butler
Average teacher salary	$56,365
Average years teacher experience	14
Average number full-time teachers	424
Teacher attendance rate	95.5
Percent teachers with bachelor's degree or more	99.4
Percent teachers with master's degree or more	74
Percent core courses taught by properly certified teacher	100
Percent core courses taught by highly qualified teacher	100
Total number core courses	2,188

School Tax Issues : Tax Revenue

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 10:57:39 +0000

Author: VietVet
Subject: Tax Revenue
Posted: Apr 07 2015 at 10:57am

From today's Journal.....

Meanwhile in Middletown, values dropped $52 million, or 7.39 percent, from 2013 to last year. The values in residential properties in Middletown fell $50 million from 2013 to 2014.

The two largest gains were seen in heavily agricultural districts, Talawanda and Ross. Talawanda property values rose $20 million, or 3 percent, while Ross jumped $9 million, or 2.4 percent, according to the county.

The drop in property values is a trend in Middletown. District Treasurer Randy Bertram said for the sixth consecutive year, and eight out of the last nine years, property values in the district fell.

He said that means the district will receive $1.3 million less in property tax revenue over the next two years — $500,000 less during the current fiscal year that ends June 30, 2015 and an estimated $800,000 less in property tax revenue the following fiscal year, he said.

“Money is tight,” he said, “and we are watching it closely.”

To help offset the loss of tax revenue, Bertram said the district isn’t replacing staff with full-time employees, but long-term substitutes for the remainder of the school year. The district also is assessing its staffing to determine the needs for next year.

He said the district also is reviewing current purchased services and deciding if the service is needed, can be reduced, and looking for alternatives to reduce the contract costs.

Now, Bertram said, the district’s five-year forecast will be updated, and the district will take any “necessary actions” for this and the next fiscal year. He said the district may have to make adjustments to assure it ends the fiscal year in the black.

Just 10 years ago, Bertram said, the property values in the city exceeded $1 billion. Since then, there have been five significant drops: 6.62 percent in 2007; 11.94 percent in 2009; 8.22 percent in 2010; 7.89 percent in 2011 and 7.39 percent last year, he said.

Overall, since 2005, the district has seen a drop of 39.4 percent in property taxes, Bertram said.

“I can only hope that we are at the bottom,” he said.

Bertram said Middletown is $15 million under funded by the state, according to the formula. He said the state is considering raising the cap districts can receive. He said if the state raises the cap by 5 percent, the Middletown district would receive $1.7 million more for fiscal year 2016.

“We certainly are hopeful,” Bertram said about the state possibly increasing school funding.

Even if that occurs, Bertram said, the Middletown district would be under funded in 2019.

Can you see where this talk from Bertram is leading?

Just up the road a few years from now, and after we just gave them bond money for their new schools, the school people, even though we are all taking a beating on our property values, are still going to ask for some more levy money- this time for operations and staffing. The old "give til you are destitute" campaign. It won't be enough that we are bleeding property investment wise, they will still insist on their desires for a mega-cost school system in a city of poor folks who can hardly afford what they will be asking for.

It's a comin".

School Tax Issues : Tax Revenue

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 12:28:43 +0000

Author: acclaro
Subject: Tax Revenue
Posted: Jan 08 2015 at 12:28pm

The bland banks were intended to fund destruction of excess houses for many reasons, including reduction inventory.

The problem with Middletown is it is a shrinking city with a shrinking number of affluent wage earners.

It doesn't do much good when you have taken down 300 houses, and have another 2000 sitting as excess capacity, with limited to no market demand.

How the school district former finance manager/ treasurer could forecast a 2% increase in city property valuation is bizarre. No reading the tea leaves. Too much capacity, too little demand. Won't change in 100 years. Best years are behind, not forward.

School Tax Issues : Tax Revenue

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:46:07 +0000

Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: Tax Revenue
Posted: Jan 08 2015 at 11:46am

Perplexed
Remember Mr. Doug used all those funds 1.2 million dollars as matching funds for the Ohio Moving Forward Program to demo all those houses...Yep everything is looking just ducky now.

School Tax Issues : Tax Revenue

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:45:00 +0000

Author: VietVet
Subject: Tax Revenue
Posted: Jan 08 2015 at 11:45am

Good questions perplexed. What did happen to all of these programs that seemed to foster positive activity for Middletown?

It is probably safe to say that those logical, citizen oriented ideas were snuffed out by the Gilleland administration and forgotten about by the Adkins clan as they saw no benefit toward their goal of setting the city up to their liking and to only support inner circle satisfaction. Helping the average Joe gets them nothing. Let's face it, all of us know that the leadership attitudes toward the majority of the people in this town is one of indifference concerning what is best for them and offering what is best for the select few that the city favors and holds as important to their cause.

Again. the only solution is to remove the cancer before the healing can begin.

School Tax Issues : Tax Revenue

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:16:38 +0000

Author: Perplexed
Subject: Tax Revenue
Posted: Jan 08 2015 at 11:16am

Property values in Middletown continue to plummet with no signs of leveling off (yet alone increasing). Homes are being demolished at breakneck speed due to the actions of "The Dougmeister" and Mr. Fooks. The percentage of owner-occupied homes continues to trend lower. The annual dollar value of residential property rehabilitation continues to drop. What a sad state of affairs! Is there any hope for positive change?

To start with, whatever happened to the highly successful Home Ownership Education classes that were attended by 250-300 prospective purchasers annually? Second, whatever happened to the highly successful Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program that routinely aided more than 60 first-time home buyers annually? Third, whatever happened to the highly successful Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program that assisted up to 50 elderly and moderate-income households annually in addressing major repairs and updates?

A major responsibility of effective local governments is to collaborate with private sector entities like real estate professionals, mortgage bankers, neighborhood betterment groups, etc. in addressing significant housing issues such as those in Middletown. With the private sector, public sector and impacted citizens each having equal roles in developing proactive and economically rational strategies, progress in eliminating numerous existing housing problems can be remedied. Home ownership promotion in Middletown requires as much attention as does economic development.

You be the judge.