BY SAUNDRA AMRHEIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP -- The Lakota School Board has given its two-cents worth on the one-penny sales tax increase question, and the answer is a resounding no. The board voted unanimously Monday to oppose Issue 2, which will appear on the ballot statewide May 5. Members also urged residents of the district to vote against it.
The boost in the sales tax by a penny-on-the-dollar is expected to raise $1.1 billion -- half of which would go to primary and secondary schools, the other half to a 15 percent property tax reduction up to $275 for homeowners.
But Lakota officials say the measure would not give the district the money it needs to handle growth. Also, the average Lakota-area homeowner would not see a windfall in savings, they contend.
"While it does give more money, it sets limitations," said Joan Powell, board member and legislative liaison.
For example, the district still would be forced to raise more money through bonds or tax levies every three to five years, she said. Also, the average homeowner receiving a $198 rebate on a $130,000 home after tax deductions would end up paying almost the same amount in sales taxes, she said.
"It is absolutely not the solution for the school district," added Superintendent Kathleen Klink. "We will have to go back to voters. It's not the answer."
Board member Jeff Jones said he was suspicious that the sales tax money would be diverted from schools in the future. Members worried, too, that other state education funds would be cut after the sales tax hike, slicing the overall amount funneled to schools. Cliff Treyens, spokesman for the Every Child Counts Issue 2 campaign in Columbus, said he was disappointed with Lakota's vote. "It's not often that you find educators or school people who would oppose a significant additional investment in education like this. And to add to that, the unusual step of providing additional tax relief," he said. "We feel it's good for voters virtually everywhere."
If approved, the measure would put the sales tax money into two trust accounts, one for schools and the other for property taxes, he said. The money for schools would not be diverted for any other use.
"Most people will get back more than they put in," he said. The General Assembly put the item on the ballot after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled last year that Ohio's school funding system had to be revamped.
