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Marcia Andrew indicates Middletown's property values have declined in comparison to other cities hit by the national recession in 2008.

Maybe should read the new city manager's thesis. Housing stock won't be going up in Middletown for 30-40 years.

http:///www.cityofmiddletown.org/docs/commsvc/section8_analysis_2012_1023.pdf

Dean wrote: <font size="2" face="Courier New, Courier, mono">The MCSD levy, if it passed, did so with the slimmest of margins. It also did not pass based upon citizens vote of confidence, rather, its longstanding, older residents that wanted to remain locked in the past, and hang on to memories of Jerry Lucas making jump shots, Archie Aldridge power dunking, and Adolph Rupp coming for a visit to recruit. If the city members didn't have all those Section 8 voters going to the polls, living in apartments, it wouldn't have been within 10 points. I stopped at Subway on Roosevelt a few days before the election and saw a sandwich maker catering to three or four Middie basketball players. She had on a pro levy shirt that she said was being handed out by the high school. I asked her why she supported the levy, and knew what the cowsts to be. Without blinking an eye, she said, "its free, the state is paying it all, and damn it, we deserve a new school." After grabbing my salad, and walking away, I looked her in the eye and asked her if she had an Obama phone. She said, 'yes', and with the Obama contribution, she got an upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy. Between boosters, and others picking up the tab, there isn't any wonder why the levy passed. Its entitlement, and aged former athletes clinging to the past, still trying to turn the clock back fifty years. The passage had nothing to do with education, a phsyical need, or cost reduction. It was trying to avoid the clock running out on a dead town, and those in poverty giving a boost to get a new building, because someone else paid the bill. I love the Middies, but believe in aging gracefully, without Botox, and lingering in the past. Shame on the bossters.

Only property owners, people with a vested interest should be eligible to vote.

Well Spider it seems that they are back to “Build it and they will come”
mind set again. It didn’t work last time but we will try it again.
I do hope they remember that they can not bring in more Section 8 this time to bring in more kiddies.
Sure go ahead and put it on the credit card and we will pay for it later.
Yes sir everything going to be just duckie this time…

chmoore1, it appears to many you have been reincarnated. Once you were Smartman, the guy who had those smart kids that you owed so much to in the district. Hell, you aren't retired, you do the bidding for the Board. We'll give a call when the moving van gets near. Think he said his kid made a 16 on the ACT and got a scholarship at North Carolina A & M.  Tree hugger too. 

I never like anything winning or losing by that kind of margin. Only seems to polarize people and entrench them towards their position. It has passed probably, so be it. Hey--everyone had the opportunity to vote, but property owners will carry the load as always. Becoming more un-acceptable every day.

A footnote, and sorry about "booster". Tried to edit it but some damn clock said time was up.

The MCSD levy, if it passed, did so with the slimmest of margins. It also did not pass based upon citizens vote of confidence, rather, its longstanding, older residents that wanted to remain locked in the past, and hang on to memories of Jerry Lucas making jump shots, Archie Aldridge power dunking, and Adolph Rupp coming for a visit to recruit.

If the city members didn't have all those Section 8 voters going to the polls, living in apartments, it wouldn't have been within 10 points. I stopped at Subway on Roosevelt a few days before the election and saw a sandwich maker catering to three or four Middie basketball players. She had on a pro levy shirt that she said was being handed out by the high school. I asked her why she supported the levy, and knew what the cowsts to be. Without blinking an eye, she said, "its free, the state is paying it all, and damn it, we deserve a new school."

After grabbing my salad, and walking away, I looked her in the eye and asked her if she had an Obama phone. She said, 'yes', and with the Obama contribution, she got an upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy.

Between boosters, and others picking up the tab, there isn't any wonder why the levy passed. Its entitlement, and aged former athletes clinging to the past, still trying to turn the clock back fifty years.

The passage had nothing to do with education, a phsyical need, or cost reduction. It was trying to avoid the clock running out on a dead town, and those in poverty giving a boost to get a new building, because someone else paid the bill.

I love the Middies, but believe in aging gracefully, without Botox, and lingering in the past. Shame on the bossters.      

"The district has not had an increase in operating tax levy since 2005."

WAAAY BACK IN 2005 HEY.

WELL THEN, BY ALL MEANS, IT IS TIME FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD AND SCHOOL SUPPORTERS TO START THE CAMPAIGN FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS. LET'S CONTINUE TO TAX THE HELL OUT OF THE VERY PEOPLE WHO CAN ILL AFFORD MORE TAXES.


"The remaining decline in property values coincides with a nationwide recession"

NOT TO MENTION WHAT THE CITY LEADERS AND THE POOR REPUTATION OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE DONE TO THE DEMAND FOR PROPERTY IN MIDDLETOWN. NEITHER ENTITY HAS EXACTLY HELPED STRENTHEN THE VALUE ON PROPERTY HERE. NO ONE WANTS TO LOCATE TO MIDDLETOWN NO MATTER HOW MANY NEW SCHOOLS YOU BUILD MS. ANDREW. "NEW" ISN'T THE ANSWER TO UPGRADING PROPERTY VALUES. QUALITY WITHIN, WHETHER NEW OR OLD, IS AN ANSWER THAT WILL START THE ATTRACTION.

"The district asked the voters to fund new buildings because the existing buildings are not adequate for the education needed to compete in a global economy"

TELL THAT TO THE OLDER COLLEGE INSTITUTIONS THAT DO UPSCALE EDUCATION IN VERY OLD BUILDINGS. I LOOK FOR DUKE, HARVARD AND YALE TO TEAR DOWN THEIR OLD BUILDINGS ANYDAY AND BUILD ALL NEW TO IMPROVE THEIR LEVEL OF EDUCATION BASES ON THIS OBSERVATION.

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS STATEMENT IS THAT, BE IT NEW OR OLD, THE EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS PERCEIVED AS NOT ADEQUATE TO "COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY". CAN'T EVEN COMPETE ENTERING THE FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OPINIONS (REFERENCE THE REMEDIAL PROGRAMS CONDUCTED BY COLLEGES FOR FRESHMAN STUDENTS FRESH FROM HIGH SCHOOL), MUCH LESS FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD ENTERING THE WORKING WORLD. NEW SCHOOLS AREN'T THE ANSWER FOR PREPARATION FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, IT IS WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THOSE NEW (OR OLD) SCHOOLS THAT MAKE OR BREAK THE READINESS OF COMPETITION IN TH GLOBAL ECONOMY. YOU ARE STILL TRYING TO SELL THE "NEW SCHOOL CONCEPT AS THE ANSWER" ROUTINE. DOESN'T WORK FOR SOME OF US.

"New/renovated buildings are not a reward for past performance or a guarantee of future performance."

AHH, THE OLD "DISCLAIMER" TO COVER CONTINUAL PERFORMANCE ISSUES AND THE "WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE TO THOSE WHO ARE FOOTING THE BILL FOR OUR NICE NEW SCHOOLS IF THEY DON'T PRODUCE" ROUTINE. THEN WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR OUR MONEY IF THE OUTCOME IS NOT SOMEWHAT ASSURED OF SUCCESS? BASED ON YOUR STATEMENT, NEW BUILDINGS ARE A CRAP SHOOT AS TO WHAT WE MAY SEE DOWN THE ROAD.

"The campaign for the levy did not make such a claim; it is only one that the no voters throw up as a red herring to strike down".


"The campaign for the levy did not make such a claim
MIGHT BE TRUE FOR NOW, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, YOU HAVE TO SHOW SOME PROGRESS AND TAKE OFF THE TRAINING WHEELS ON THE BICYCLE MS. ANDREW. YA CAN'T RIDE THE "WE NEED YOUR HELP" TRAIN FOREVER WHILE CONTINUING TO SHOW US NOTHING IN RETURN.


YEP, WE THROW UP "RED HERRINGS"


WHILE YOUR SIDE OF THE FENCE THROWS UP THE OLD PASSIFICATION AND APPEASEMENT PROGRAM INUNDATED WITH EXCUSES, EMPTY PROMISES, THE PROVERBIAL "WE ARE HOPING THE NEXT TIME WILL BE BETTER" AS THE EXCUSE TRAIN KEEPS ON A ROLLIN" WITH AN ENDLESS LIST OF REASONS WHY YOU FAILED TO ACHIEVE THIS TIME GIMMICKS. GETTING OLD AFTER THREE DECADES, REALLY IS. WE KEEP THROWING MONEY AT YOU AS YOU REQUEST AND KEEP GETTING THE BLACK EYE EVERY TIME AS TO OUTCOME. WHY? ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME TO SEE SOME REAL IMPROVEMENT WITH THIS DISTRICT? THE FAILURE TRAIN CAN'T RUN FOREVER.

This is easy to comprehend Vet.

Besides AK, the biggest employer in the city is MUM and the school district. Its driven by public sector employees, unions, that are making no progress in performance.

As you correctly stated, its easy to move up when at the bottom of the barrel. But, neither residents nor employees want anything to do with Middletown. The school system is poor, its quite obvious, and money is wasted.

What irks me is the dishonesty of the campaign. That will not be forgotten, nor will it not be reported.

At the end of the day, over 55% of those voting YES, didn't even own property, hence, will see no pain in taxation. The district rounded up multiple partners that outsource services, to "sponsor" dances, and get parents together, forming YES blocks. Many MUM students voted, paying nothing for taxes.

The city wants payroll tax to stay in place, from the school district. So they agree to round up YES votes. The senior citizens got their debt absorbed by city council deals, that traded unloading debt for seniors, for votes for city in future campaigns, coming next year, and the school district. As the reverend stated about it being a marathon, these campaign built on misinformation about cost, acceleration of payment, and state match funds "going away", was running in the background for years.

It will only serve to move more residents out, including businesses, as enrollment declines, tax valuation worsens, and the cycle of destroying the property owner continues in Middletown. Frankly, wo in their right mind would own property in Middletown, already on a decline, knowing all these taxes are coming. How soon do you think raises will be coming for the MCSD? About a year. Then, the high operating taxation, as the district goes into the red.

If you work in the district, city hall, or MUM, you don't care. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. The goal is to reduce the population to around 27,000. It will arrive. There won't be docs and attorneys filling existing practices today in Middletown in 10 years, they'll be in Monroe and Lebanon. It will be as shell of a town, built on public sector employees.

Leadership failed decades ago, and what exists today isn't equivalent of entry level. With slight organization, and a month, the school levy would have gone down  by 500 votes. Even with misrepresentations associated with receipt of $40 Mm, the levy failed by .5%, and some questionable tactics that will be reviewed.

Interest rates are still low, a great time to move. Or, appeaql that property tax bill by March end of 2015.     

There is consequence for distortion.     

chmoore1 wrote: Acclaro: Ok. I'm in my 70's. Been retired for some years. Nothing in there about my income. Just said that I saved $500 year on property taxes. Nothing about a "cap". You can count on my vote for the next school levy. Probably not (almost certainly) on the city. I actually agree with you on that. Horrible situation here in the city. Still don't see why you think that being retired negates my opinion. You need to work on that. I do agree with you also on no time to bloviate....I need to get my earth moving equipment in running order. Let me know which tree you'll be chained to---I'll leave that one til last. Trying to be helpful in my old age.   Your buddy,just 1chmoore. See you at the polls!

ch:
"You can count on my vote for the next school levy".

Fascinating comment ch.

For the record, and for my understanding, if I may ask, why did you vote yes on the bond levy? Were you satisfied with the academic/indicator performances of the district? Do you just simply support everything Andrew and the board tells you? Are you happy with the school ranking as to graduation rates or school state rankings? How about performance test results? Happy with that? Are you content to know that your property value, despite new schools having been built years ago, have not increased but rather are steadily decreasing? Are you content in knowing that families are enrolling their kids in systems outside the district giving a no-confidence type of message? What, pray tell, makes a person cast a vote of support for this district when it appears there is nothing but trouble in every category of consideration? WHAT BENEFIT ARE YOU GETTING OUT OF GIVING THEM MORE OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX MONEY? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE METHOD OF THINKING FROM THE PRO-LEVY FOLKS. THERE IS NOTHING POSITIVE TO EXTRACT A YES VOTE AS I SEE IT.

An analogy for you.....

New building investing in the Middletown schools is like the people of Cincinnati investing in a new stadium for the Bengals during the Dave Shula/Bruce Coslet era during the 80's. They were the laughing stock of the NFL in those days, a proverbial comedy of errors each Sunday and a perrenial loser year after year, so much so that with the fans who did go, wore brown bags over their heads in shame. I see similarities here. Why reward stagnated mediocrity/failure with new buildings? Have they earned that request?

Updated: 5:56 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2014 | Posted: 5:35 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2014

School board approves five-year forecast

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

    MIDDLETOWN — It’s hard enough predicting tomorrow’s weather, said Kelley Thorpe, treasurer of the Middletown City Schools District.

Imagine predicting it for May 21, 2018.

    That’s what school treasurers face around the state when they produce their district’s five-year financial forecast, she said. On Tuesday night, the board unanimously approved the financial form, but not before the Rev. Greg Tyus, board vice-president, asked Kelley to clarify a few points.

    Tyus was upset by how news reports characterized the forecast after it was presented at an earlier school board meeting. Thorpe explained the district should end this fiscal year with a cash balance of more than $2 million. That number is expected to grow to $2.7 million in 2015 and $2.4 million in 2016.

     But the next two years, because of sharply higher employees’ retirement and health insurance and lower property values throughout Butler County, Thorpe is predicting the district will have a cash balance of negative $3.5 million by fiscal year 2018.

    The property valuation for the school district was $975 million in 2008, and is expected to drop to $711 million this year, she said. Thorpe said general property tax revenue used to be the fastest growing assessed tax valuation. However, in recent years, she said, this source of revenue has been decreasing steadily due to changes in property valuation in the city. Thorpe said property values will be appraised this year in Butler County, and she sees a recent trend continuing.

    Thorpe said she’s predicting a 2 to 3 percent drop in property values in Butler County and a 12 to 15 percent increase in benefits. The district spent $11.7 million on employees’ retirement in 2013, a number that is predicted to climb to $14.6 million by 2018 because of changes in the State Teacher’s Retirement System (STRS).

    Meanwhile, she said, the revenue will be fairly stagnant because it’s based on “what we know right now,” she said.

    Thorpe said the first year of the forecast will be more accurate than the fifth year.

    She said that’s a typical five-year plan for school districts, and added that 98 percent or 99 percent of the districts in the state have negative forecasts. She said operating in the red is “not that alarming” in school finances.

    Tyus wanted the Middletown community to know school board members understand how a district’s finances work and they wouldn’t sit around and “watch us go into the hole.”

She said one of the “unknown majors” is what impact the Affordable Care Act will have on the district.

    Also, she said, if for some reason, the district’s bond issue fails, and a new middle school isn’t built, the district would have to budget $1 million to replace the roof.

    This fiscal year, she said, more students left Middletown to attend charter/community schools than originally thought. This caused an increase in tuition payments of about $1 million, and those payments are predicted to increase from $23.8 million this year to $25.2 million by 2018.       Superintendent Sam Ison has said that 1,500 students who live in the Middletown district attend schools other than Middletown City for various reasons, which costs the district $8.7 million to its general fund.