Liberty: Tax Hike Needed To Finish 2nd School
Liberty: Tax Hike Needed To Finish 2nd School
Superintendent Said Phase Two Always Part Of Plan
The Liberty School District is asking voters to approve a tax hike so that they can finish the second phase of city's new high school.
KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reported that two years ago, patrons in the growing district approved a bond issue to build the new school.
Most of the school building will open next year. However, the district needs a field house for sports, an auditorium and space for fine arts classes.
Liberty Schools Superintendent Mike Brewer said that these projects have always been in the plan: "So now we're at Phase Two, which we always planned to ask voters for a bond in the spring of 2010."
Because of the district's budget limits and the recession – which has dropped property values, the main source of money for the district – Phase Two must be paid for with increased taxes instead of a bond issue. The district said the tax increase will equal $67 for a year for a typical Clay County property owner.
School board candidate Craig Porter said, "This is not a good time for a tax increase on anybody."
Porter supports building the new high school, but he believes the district could have saved money on things like busing costs. He also believes that selling off some of the district-owned bus fleet would help pay for the $8 million being requested for the second phase of the new school.
"Let's look and see if we can find some savings outside the classroom before we take a look at a tax," said Porter.
The other issue facing the district is emerging from a financial scandal involving a former superintendent. The vote for the tax increase may be a comment on that scandal by the voters. Brewer said he knows this may be a concern, stating that the district has been paying a "trust tax" for some time now. This so called "trust tax" is of their own making.
The tax increase vote is April 6. It needs to be approved by 57 percent of the voters.
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