Attempts to cut taxes further fail to gain traction
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
A year ago, a well-organized group of citizens came into the Burlington Area School District Annual Meeting, protested the proposed 3.63 percent tax levy increase – and managed to vote it down.
In the two months that followed, BASD had another set of meetings, voted to keep the levy as proposed because of it being so late in the budget process, considered the matter finished – and then had to have a second annual meeting after residents petitioned for one.
Since then, two members of the BASD board were voted out, replaced with Roger Koldeway and Phil Ketterhagen – and the 2012-13 budget process underwent a fair amount of scrutiny.
So, to almost no one’s surprise, Monday night’s annual meeting was tame in comparison to last year’s. However it again demonstrated that even a tax freeze is not enough for some people who contend the economy demands more of a cut.
In the end, the electorate present for the meeting – more than 300 people – voted to hold the tax levy steady at $20.36 million, which translates into a tax rate of $10.17 per $1,000 of property – also the same as this past school year.
The vote was 272 in favor of the proposed levy, while 56 voted against it. It was the second ballot of the night, as, after the discussion, a member of the audience got up and proposed reducing the levy to approximately $19.9 million.
The first ballot, which would have amended the tax levy to that new, lower amount, failed, with 270 people voting against it and 61 for it.
The BASD budget will now move forward under those guidelines, though final numbers won’t be plugged in until state aid is finalized in October.
School Board member Larry Anderson said at the meeting that property tax bills would likely drop for many, but some would see an increase – based on individual property values.
Debate is familiar
In the meantime, it was the second spirited annual meeting in as many years, though not as volatile as many School Board and special meetings have been in the last year.
This time around, while a significant minority stood up to voice displeasure with the district building its fund balance instead of lowering the tax levy, there seemed to be many in attendance who felt the zero percent tax increase was enough to satisfy them.
Most of the arguments Monday night were focused on three factors: 1) teachers are still not automatically paying a portion of their insurance premiums; 2) the increase in the fund balance; and 3) that because of the first two, an actual drop in the tax levy wasn’t considered.
“The zero percent tax levy increase is no compromise to the taxpayers,” said Bonnie Ketterhagen, Phil Ketterhagen’s wife and one of the founders of WeVote, the conservative political-action group that formed last year.
“Real compromise would be to roll it back to a negative levy,” she added.
There were a number of people who stood up to agree with Bonnie Ketterhagen, who was the first of many to voice their opinions.
Insurance is hot topic
“I’m saying I think we could do better,” said another man, when presented with information that health insurance costs had dropped by about $1.3 million over the last two years.
He and a few others in the audience challenged the board’s decision to not require a premium contribution from district employees. Instead, the district changed insurance to a high-deductible option – which everyone could get for no cost – or keeping last year’s insurance but paying the difference in premiums between the two plans.
“Why can’t people pay some of their fringe benefits?” said the same man who said the district could have done more with insurance savings. That man said he was self-employed with a $15,000 annual deductible.
Others took issue with what appeared to be an increase in the fund balance simply because of the tax increase pushed through in last year’s difficult, extended process.
“The tax levy that went through was rammed down our throats,” said another attendee. There were accusations put forth that the district, in forcing the second vote, manipulated the audience by getting all district employees in to vote.
The actual fund balance is at roughly $4.3 million right now, but teachers’ contract settlements, as well as the hiring of extra kindergarten teachers because of late arrivals at the grade level, are expected to spend some of that down.
A similar vein was explored by district resident Dale Bruesewitz, who took on what he called the “debacle” in Madison last year, referring to protests in Madison over Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 proposal.
Bruesewitz appeared to go over his allotted three-minute time limit, which resulted in numerous calls from the audience to ask him to stop, but he finished with, “Until the union starts cleaning out the deadwood in its ranks, they aren’t going to get our respect.”
BASD’s lower test scores on the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Exam – which were railed upon by Phil Ketterhagen in June in a Curriculum Committee meeting, resulting in his censure – were also mentioned.
Some pushback
However, for almost every point brought up by audience members thinking the board wasn’t acting in a conservative enough manner, there seemed to be an answer from elsewhere in the crowd.
The fund balance increase was explained as mostly one-time revenue gains. BASD Supt. Peter Smet reiterated Tuesday night that those one-time funds included the closing out of a city TIF district, special education students moving out of the district and the salary settlement with BASD staff not having been paid out yet.
“I think that it’s something that, because it was one-time things, unbudgeted, unplanned for, I would recommend it’s used to stabilize future levies,” Smet said.
Indeed, at the meeting, board members countered with the fact that a larger fund balance would be preferable to short-term borrowing, and some audience members agreed – especially in a budget situation that could have further rainy-day problems down the road.
“I’d rather have the money in the pocket,” said Andy Endl, who also added that the district was in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario with this issue.
Others stood up and personally defended BASD teaching staff that had helped their own children.
Kelley Albrecht, who is running against state Rep. Robin Vos for an assembly seat this fall, said her 10-year-old son is autistic, and the progress he has made is due to teaching “scooping him up” at a younger age.
She also chastised those in attendance for the repeated attacks.
“It’s like we’re a bunch of crabs in a bucket,” Albrecht said, adding that they were crawling all over each other but not getting anywhere.
“Enough. This is not the community I chose 23 years ago to raise my children in,” she added. “It doesn’t need to be that way.”
Another man pointed out that just because teachers had good benefits when others didn’t, was no reason to take them away.
And Kim Peterson, whose son is at Karcher Middle School, said, “we are very pleased with some of the things that have come through this budget, especially given the bare bones from the state.”
Endl attempted to add some perspective to the situation.
“I think a lot of education is learning how to learn and learning what to do,” he said. He also pointed out that BHS’s costs per student continue to drop.
“Do we want to be last?” he asked. “Where is your commitment to your kid?”
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Complete wage remake has to be done. Not all levels of teachers should be paid same, incentives fo rthose who step up to the plate. Their insurance is still wonderful compared to mine. Your benefit is time off, end of statement and that pension.
The whole augment that the teachers insurance is better than mine, so therefor it needs to be slashed, is rediculus. I could say that since Bill Gates makes more money than me, it’s not fair and he should not make as much money as he does( but I know that is rediculus ). The fact is, all teachers have a bachelors degree and many have a masters degree which separates them from the average person( and thus the separation in pay/ benefits ).
I have to laugh at the idea that teachers are not worth higher pay or better benefits. They go to school at their own expense to further their skills, they give extra hours to work with kids who need extra help, and they are teaching our kids to strive for a better life. And you begrudge them a living wage? How selfish are you?? Shame on you! You want the benefits they have? Go to school, pay your dues, and put in the time.
Why would any teacher continue to pay dues? Unions are not for the “kids” or teachers, they are all about them self. There number one concern is there own check book, scondly, supporting politicians that give them what they want…more money. You are fooling yourself if you think they care about you. As for paying for an education gives any ont the right to bankrupt the state, give me a break, who dosen’t pay for there edducation these days?
Bystander. Most people “go to school at their own expense” why is that some amazing feat?
I went to school and paid my dues unfortunately I don’t have 3 months off, along with a week at christmas and a week for “spring break” and other misc days thrown in there.
Those benefits go along with the job though and that’s fine. The bottom line is since I was a kid we’ve always heard how teachers are underpaid/overworked.
Now with the internet allowing people to easily see what they really do make there is no more sympathy. Throw in the unreal benefits and much higher than average time off
people do not really want to hear the complaining about having to contribute to health insurance or maybe not getting a raise one year. Basically the whining needs to end.
Of course, most people don’t have to “go to school at their own expense” just to maintain their job like teachers do.
Jill: Most of the teachers that you say have great pay and benefits are very well educated. Most of them have their master’s degree, which only about 8% of the entire US population has. In the private sector, which I work, individuals with Master’s Degrees make much, much more than the top teacher’s make in Burlington, which is a little under $70,000. And not all teacher’s make that much. In BASD, a teacher’s starting salary is below $35,000/year. For college educated people who are good at their job, that amount is a joke!
A teacher in BASD making 35,000 per year is about as common as a bluebird in January. Individuals in the private sector also work 12 months per year. That 70k 9 month job is equivalent to a 91k job in private sector although with better benefits. The rare 35k job equals a 46k 12 month job. Am I saying they need a 12 month school year? No. But you have to compare things realistically.
Of course, just because the students are not in school, does not mean the teachers are not working.
Hey Private Sector drop some info on that school that guarantees 70k+/30k+ benefit job your when you get a Master’s. Sounds like a good deal. What if you drop out of school do they not let you make more?? Just curious.
On another note, with how low the teachers’ are compared to the rest – why do they still have that union?? Why do they pay for union “leaders” who make 100s of Ks when they make so little? Seems like no union and the private sector is better according to their own “logic”. Well, I’m sure there’s a good reason.
Sorry for these questions, just curious as a cat today.
If teaching was such a “damn good job” with such wonderful benefits and working conditions, EVERYONE would be doing it!!
Not everyone is cutout to be a teacher, agreed. However most people would not complain when they start having to contribute to their exceptional benefit package. Or complain about being underpaid per their education level they must have forgotten they don’t work all year. Nobody is saying don’t pay them well, I think 70k for a partial year of work isn’t too bad I think most are tired of the whining plain and simple.