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Board passes maximum operating levy certification

At a special school board meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6, the Duluth board passed the maximum permissible operating levy (your property taxes). This is a 4.9% increase over last year. No explanations were given on why there was an increase. Last year's increase was a 5.9% increase over the previous year. The board turned down an amendment by Glass and Johnston to limit the levy to last year's amout of $24, 641,000. Glass and Johnston indicated that it isn't fair to increase school budgets when citizens' income in Duluth is flat or decreasing. There will be another vote at the December board meeting, after the "Truth in Taxation Hearing" on that levy.

If the operating levy would pass on Nov. 8, the levy would increase by another $5.6 million to $30.2 million or an increase of 23%. 

In addition to this, we are expecting to pass bonds for another $15 million to pay for the increased scope of the Red Plan, and if the board doesn't change, they have indicated another increase in the Red Plan of $19 million will have to be bonded. There is also an estimated $4.5 million transfer from the general fund to the Red Plan. All of these increases are being stayed until after the general election so voters don't get scared of all these planned tax increases and then wouldn't vote for the operating levy referendum. Nothing like truth in taxation! But maybe the voters will say: "You can fool some of the people all the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time!"



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