Posted: Sept. 15, 2009 |(0) Comments

Greenfield — About 80 residents packed the School Board's meeting room Monday, many of them angry with a proposed 11.4 percent property tax levy increase.

Greenfield electors said no to the proposed $24.3 million levy by a 56-28 vote, but that vote was only advisory and not binding. The School Board gave preliminary approval to a $50.7 million budget that included the full levy amount. The levy will be certified in late October after several factors, including state aid and district enrollment, are finalized.

Many residents voiced their displeasure with the proposed levy increase, saying the double-digit rise was too much given the economic struggles many in the city are facing.

"I can't go to my boss and tell him, 'I need an 11.4 percent increase,'  " said resident Dave Richland to applause. Saying his tax bill has gone up $1,000 since he and his wife purchased their home three years ago, Richland added: "We don't know what we're going to do anymore."

Other residents said they had been laid off or were retired and couldn't afford more taxes. The meeting got heated at times and some residents blasted raises given to Superintendent Conrad Farner and other administrators.

"We can't go to anybody when our budgets run out in our households and say, 'We need more money,' " said Pam Akers, a Greenfield alderwoman. "There's so many people out here who have lost jobs, took pay cuts. You're forcing people out of their homes."

Tax rate would decline

Under the proposed budget, the tax rate would be $11.08 per $1,000 of assessed property value, down from $12.34 last year. Property values in the city went up an average of 24 percent after a citywide revaluation, school officials said.

The proposed tax rate means the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $2,216 in school property taxes.

The budget itself is proposed at about $50.7 million, down 27.5 percent from last year. The large drop is mostly due to the high school, pool and utility building construction projects coming to an end. The budget for the main operations of the district is increasing by 3.6 percent.

State funding blamed

Before residents weighed in, Farner gave a lengthy presentation and argued that the state's school funding formula created the budget woes facing Greenfield and school districts across Wisconsin.

Farner said schools "have been in a recession for 16 years" under the state's approach to school funding, created in the early 1990s under former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

He criticized revenue limits, which he said are based on unrealistic assumptions about schools' costs and enrollments, and said Greenfield is especially penalized because of its declining enrollment.

The aspects of the budget that are under the district's control are well managed, Farner said, pointing to countless cuts and savings over the past eight years.

But some of those cuts have meant crowded classrooms, said resident Rod Sayas, who is leaving his son at home as a result.

"We would rather home school our kid than send him to Greenfield, to be honest with you," Sayas said.

Farner say woes will get worse

With the recent repeal of the state's qualified economic law aimed at limiting teacher salaries and a shortfall in state aid, the district's budget woes promise to only get worse, Farner said. School officials say the 15.1 percent drop in state aid was the main reason for the tax levy increase.

Farner and other school officials urged the public to contact their state representatives to voice concern over school funding mechanisms.

"Greenfield citizens should be pleased, if not amazed" that the district has survived this long, Farner said.

In addition to the advisory vote on the levy, electors took two votes on School Board salaries after confusion arose over whether board members would be getting a raise.

Their salaries will remain at $4,200 per year, which has not changed in at least 12 years, school board members said.