Throughout Minnesota, school boards have had to turn to voters for new levies and the reports are unrelenting. A headline from the Mankato Free Press tells it all: School referendums couched in dire terms.
The St. Cloud Times editorial board minces no words in Local levies cover state's epic failure:
Residents in nine area school districts have about a week left to decide how they will vote on requests to raise local property taxes to help their districts — Sauk Rapids-Rice, Sartell-St. Stephen, Rocori, Foley, Royalton, Melrose, Milaca, Upsala and Princeton.
All essentially need the funds to maintain operating budgets. One — Sartell-St. Stephen — also needs help for repairs. This board urges approval of all questions, largely because of the state’s epic failure to meet its constitutional obligation to adequately fund education.
Yes, epic. Look no further than how legislators and the governor the past four years have chosen to withhold about 40 percent of the education funds the state promised. Add in that these elected officials continue to use a baseline funding formula developed 35 years ago while routinely letting partisan politics trump serious reform efforts and “epic” is a deserved descriptor. . . .
The Fergus Falls Journal's board uses other words to describe the epic failure in Vote yes to fund schools:
We recognize that, thanks to the state Legislature, property taxes have increased in communities throughout Otter Tail County. We also believe the Legislature has put an unfair, undue burden on school districts in underfunding them to the point where they need to conduct referenda to stay afloat. . . .
It's not pretty.
And it's not just the school shift that's creating consternation. There's also the elimination of the Homestead Market Value Credit. And while Greg Davids once tried to shift responsibility for this to Governor Dayton, he's back on the road defending the move.
The Fairmont Sentinel reports in Lawmaker defends tax law change:
The system couldn't last, but instead of simply eliminating the market value credit, the Legislature adopted the market value exclusion. The exclusion attempts to ease the burden on certain taxpayers by shifting it to others, namely businesses.
"Tell me how that helps our businesses ... create jobs if they have to pay more?" asked Bob Wallace, Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce director.
It's a great question, Davids said.
Bobby Patrick, the taxes committee administrator, promised: "We're working on something," though he was elusive as to what that something is.
Businesses aren't the only ones upset about the mess created by the market value credit. Commissioner Steve Pierce said Martin County only plans to raise its levy 1.9 percent, but when people receive their tax statements, they're angry with the county for the higher taxes caused by the elimination of the market value credit. . . .
Read the whole thing at the Sentinel.
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