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When county commissioners signed on to increasing student funding to the state average, they expected that annual growth in the tax base would cover it and leave some for other county programs.
As other counties across the state have turned their attention and dollars to schools, the state average has shot up a lot faster than anyone expected.
To meet the the state average this year, commissioners are faced with an all-and-nothing choice — virtually all of new growth money for schools and nothing else for other county operations.
When commissioners made the commitment to raise funding during public forums in 1998, the agreement specified that the county would allocate 40 percent of normal growth to meet the per pupil commitment.
But County Manager Tim Russell said meeting that commitment this year will eat up 74 percent of new monies the county collects.
The actual growth in county property taxes should translate to slightly more than $1.8 million, far less than the $2.5 million needed to meet school needs.
In his message to commissioners, Russell said the county is having to use all other new growth revenues, in effect appropriating an amount equal to 141 percent of property tax growth.
His second option suggests that the county use the 40 percent of new property taxes revenue for schools and then hike taxes 2.5 percent to get the other $1.8 million needed to meet the commitment to education.
“The board should be commended for its commitment to provide funds to improve the public education system for our children,” said Russell in his message to commissioners, adding, “The commitment is not inexpensive.”
During the past two years, the board has invested $6.1 million in public schools, an increase of more than 36 percent from the 1997-98 fiscal year. Russell said that if the commitment continues into the next budget year, the total investment for three years will be $8.7 million, an increases of more than 51 percent.
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