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REFERENDUM TO GO TO NEILLSVILLE VOTERS
Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 -- 9:24 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
Neillsville school district residents will be faced with a revenue cap exemption referendum during the Fall Primary.
This week, the Neillsville School Board authorized a September 12th referendum. If approved by voters, the district would be allowed to exceed their state-imposed revenue cap by $250,000 each of the next three years. After the third year, the $750,000 cap exemption would remain in place unless future boards work to reverse it.
Neillsville School Board President Walter Wetzel is not predicting doom and gloom if the referendum fails, but says the school board will need to look at charging students for certain services and making some yet-to-be-determined cuts if it’s defeated.
“A lot of schools around us charge for different sports, driver’s training, (etc.) – basically, I happen to be one that doesn’t believe charging kids,” Wetzel says. “Parents cannot afford to send their kids on class trips – it takes a additional money.”
“I want to be the first to say the Board has not sat down and decided what to cut. I think this is a taxpayers’ decision. You tell me what you want to do. I want to keep doing what we’re doing, if you give me this referendum, I can,” Wetzel explains.
The three incremental increases will make the rise in the mill rate less harsh based on the state aid formula, Wetzel says.
The school’s tax rate for 2006 was $7.20 per thousand dollars. If approved by voters, the cap exemption is projected to increase the tax rate 38-cents to $7.58 in 2007, 35-cents to $7.93 in 2008 and 31-cents to $8.24 in 2009.
Wetzel, who says the school will be holding informational meetings on the referendum, notes Neillsville’s mill rate is one of the lowest in the area, but the district will be faced with a couple big bills in the next couple years; enrollments at the school are expected to drop 50-70 students beginning next year.
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