Health & Fitness
Blog: No EIT in 2012 for T/E. . . But Does That Mean a Property Tax Hike?
No EIT in 2012 but what options remain to close the TESD 2012-13 budget gap? Further cuts to educational programs? Outsourcing of custodial services? Increase in property taxes?
With much speculation and political rhetoric during the recent campaign season, I don't think many were surprised by Monday night's T/E School Board vote on the Earned Income Tax. With a vote of 7-2, the school board directors voted against an EIT voter referendum question on the April primary election ballot. The same school board directors, Kevin Mahoney (R) and Anne Crowley (D) who voted in favor of taking the EIT issue to the voters in October 2010, voted in favor of letting the public make the choice in 2012.
The school board may have made its decision on the EIT . . . but what options remain to close the school district's budget gap for 2012-13? Further cuts to educational programs? Outsourcing of custodial services? Increasing class size? Increase in property taxes?
Attending the school board meeting was Ray Clark who provided his own anecdotal take on the evening for Community Matters:
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The usual arguments were rehearsed by both Board members and audience, but the ones that I felt carried the day were that “now is not the time” and “we’re going to try really really hard to get Harrisburg to find another of your pockets to take the employee pensions from”. Dr Brake had a well-reasoned position that also made the point that the current political climate would not allow a thoughtful debate and the Board could avoid “roiling the community” further by not putting it to referendum now.
But that was not what kept this audience member awake. Just about every board member (campaigning or not) berated the political machine for the campaign tactics.
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Dr Brake contrasted legitimate “contrast pieces” with “offensive” “making stuff up”. Then Republican operative Tom Colman launched a defense of the election tactics, and acknowledged that he had orchestrated a personal campaign against the Act 1 tax in 2007. That brought up Jenny Wessels to state that she had been miss-represented in the campaign and to commend the Board for their non-partisan approach. Then followed Debbie Bookstaber, in a long soliloquy berating her colleagues for their political statements.
To read more of Ray Clarke's remarks and resident comments, click here.
