School district considers rolling back tax levy

Posted online August 14, 2005 | 11:00 pm

Operating revenues for Springfield Public Schools are coming in at a clip greater than expected, causing the district’s board to consider rolling back its tax rate. The proposed 14-cent rollback will be discussed in a 5:30 p.m. public hearing Aug. 16 in the Assembly Room at Kraft Administrative Center, 940 N. Jefferson Ave.

Legally, the district could maintain the 25-cent levy increase approved by voters in June 2004. That vote set the levy ceiling at approximately $3.14 per $100 of assessed valuation.

But public school officials say a levy rollback to approximately $3 would allow the district to meet its budget needs and fulfill the intent of the voter-approved levy increase.

“This school district wants taxpayers to provide the funding we need, not the maximum we can have,” board president Michael Hoeman said in a news release.

Annual revenues are on pace to exceed projections by $3.6 million, after the district raised $3.75 million after implementing the first 15-cents of the levy increase and revised Greene County property assessments have increased collections.

A vote on the final rate is expected following the public hearing. The board’s agendas are now posted online at www.spstoday.com/board_agendas.asp.

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