Schools get no windfall from new construction; millage is cut as valuation increases

Schools get no windfall from new construction; millage is cut as valuation increases
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to a letter published last week concerning the Austintown schools. The writer wanted to know where all the additional tax money was going as a result of the construction of new homes in Austintown. The writer may not be aware of House Bill 920, legislation that does not allow levies to grow in value. When a levy is passed it is approved to collect a certain amount of money for its lifetime. As an example, the last Austintown school levy that was approved by the voters was in November of 1996 and was passed at 7.3 mills. Due to the effects of HB 920, it only collects at a rate of 5.8 mills today. Total voted millage over the years for the schools is 48.2 but the effective rate is 24.2 due to HB 920.
The writer is correct when he states that Fitch High School has a principal for each grade. However, he should know each grade has over 400 students. In addition, the writer should know that at the recommendation of Mr. Stan Watson, the new superintendent, beginning Aug. 1, the Austintown Board of Education will be eliminating the position of assistant superintendent. This has been an important position in the Austintown schools for 37 years but is being eliminated in an effort to save dollars.
Finally, I know of no board of education that looks forward to asking voters to increase their taxes. However, until the state legislature responds to Supreme Court decisions to create a system of financing our public schools that is efficient, equitable, and does not have an over reliance on property tax, the present system is what they have to work with.
RICHARD DENAMEN, Superintendent
Austintown Local Schools
Community's problems go beyond fraud probes of '90s
EDITOR:
After reading Mahoning County Democratic Chairperson Lisa Antonini's letter, it is apparent that she is in need of a reality check.
To imply that this community has only the fraud probes of the mid '90s to blame for its bad image is laughable. Furthermore, if I decided to come up with a deck of playing cards for the indicted/convicted officeholders from Mahoning County, I would need a deck that had more than 52 cards and 2 jokers. By the way, I believe that all would have "Democrat" stamped across their face. Ms. Antonini also claims that her party is busy "building partnerships via the public sector, fixing the roads, cleaning the neighborhoods, rebuilding our schools, fighting crime, feeding the poor and helping the vets." What, they haven't solved the problem of the Middle East? It is their help that has given us a ranking of 149 out of 150 communities according to Forbes magazine.
I do agree that the local Mahoning County Republican Party has done very little in offering a truly loyal opposition. Instead, it has been activists like Mark Belinky, others and myself who have picked up the mantle to question the public policy of the Democrats in this county. I find it ironic that Ms. Antonini bashes the local GOP when it appears to me that both political parties' leadership has morphed into the party of one.
She goes on to whine about people questioning her party's integrity about their Hall of Fame event. What she forgot to add was that trash-king Jerry Springer was their guest of honor. In my opinion, Springer was/is their perfect symbol. Ms. Antonini also goes onto say how the local party is promoting fiscal responsibility. Obviously, they do this by not paying their operating bills. This gives them more taxpayer money to spend on boondoggle projects and increase the size of the patronage system. That is the lesson of the people in power in Mahoning County circa 2003.
SAMUEL M. MOFFIE
Boardman