Comments on: It’s official: All the smart people HAVE left District 150 for Dunlap

By: Mshirey

Mshirey — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:37:23 +0000

I really galls me that 150 says they don’t have enough money to hire enough teachers to have smaller class size, but they have enough money to pay someone to sit on their butt and “advise” district administrators what they should do when they are going to do what they want anyway. No administrator should be making more money than the teachers who educate our country’s future.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:13:52 +0000

I’m totally with you, Billy, on the tax increase issue. Your tax bill – i.e. what you pay in property tax for the year, will go up if either 1. The rate goes up or 2. the assessment goes up. Either way, what you pay, and thus what the taxing authority collects, is more for the year. Sorry, Anon E. Mouse, if you pay more taxes on the same property from one year to the next, isn’t that the very definition of a tax increase?

I would absolutely expect that someone in Williamson’s position would have been more forthright in her explanation to you, Billy.

By: Anon E. Mouse

Anon E. Mouse — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:56:29 +0000

If I buy a Monster burger for $5 last week and the price goes up to $6 next week, I am paying more tax. My tax rate is the same. That is not a tax increase.

By: Anon E. Mouse

Anon E. Mouse — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:53:15 +0000

Bill – it is called inflation.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:54:33 +0000

I am specifically referring to the practive of school boards, city councils, etc. voting to set the property tax levy at a figure that they KNOW will trigger a rate that is the same of lower than the current rate. They do this because property tax accessors -- an agency of government -- has assessed higher property values for existing property. Some of the increased Equalized Assessed Valuation is also due to new development) The point is that it is a dodge. More property taxes as paid by individuals, but the rate is lower. Big fat hairy deal. I have mentioned this in many posts: Here and here.

By: 11Bravo

11Bravo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:48:47 +0000

A better comparison would be if one day I buy a burger and then the next day I buy a burger and fries. I wouldn’t consider that extra tax on the fries as a tax increase. However, if the government came in and said that the original burger was now $0.50 more for no justifiable reason then I would agree that is a tax increase.

By: 11Bravo

11Bravo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:46:24 +0000

It depends Billy, on whether mcsey is talking about an increased assessment when no improvements are being made to the structure or if he is talking about an increased assessment after remodeling. I would agree that it is not a tax increase IF you add on to your house and as a result the assessment goes up. But if that is not the case and your assessment increases I would agree that is an increase.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:29:30 +0000

mcsey: So, if I get a Monster Burger one day instead of a hamburger off the kids menu, that’s the same thing as increasing the price of a burger.

By: mcsey

mcsey — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:21:11 +0000

If your assessment goes up but the tax rate does not, I’d agree with Williamson. That not a tax increase. By your logic moving into a nicer house in the same neighborhood is a tax increase because your going to be paying more total $$$s.

By: deebie47

deebie47 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:35:08 +0000

Another $ 42,000 spent on something overpaid District staff should be able to handle. Can’t Hinton roll up his own sleeves and get a little dirty doing his own job?