If tonight’s Franklin School Board meeting was any indication, hold onto your wallets.
Franklin, you’re going to get hit with a big school tax increase.
And, as I predicted some time ago, Franklin school officials are using this as their mantra: There is no other choice because the state isn’t giving us enough money.
There was no talk or consideration or even thought of making cuts to avoid a whopping 5.6% school tax levy increase.
A large crowd that I estimated at 150 nearly filled the room. Apparently, the bloggers touched a nerve with tax increase supporters who voiced nervous comments about their favorite programs (generally arts) they didn’t want to see cut.
If there were tax increase opponents in the room, they more or less stayed quiet.
From the outset it was clear the intent was to label the state as the villain. School Board member Sue (God I wish I could triple your taxes right this second) Huhn started the state-bashing by saying the state “doesn’t always give money when we need it.”
Huhn also offered an ominous note, referring to the “need to revisit how to address that situation,” meaning the capacity of the school buildings. Translation: here comes another referendum.
Huhn quoted ultra-liberal State School Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster (I’m sure Huhn has a shrine to Burmaster set up in her house) asking the Legislature to approve a budget by September 28.
Then Franklin School District Business Manager Jim Milzer was sent in to spearhead what could only be described as “OPERATION GLAZE THEIR EYES OVER,” giving a loooooooonnnnng numbers-heavy, yawner of a presentation on every single line of Franklin expenditures.
Milzer could have saved a lot of time and energy had he just got up and said, “TAX INCREASES……GOOD! STATE OF WISCONSIN………BAD!"
Milzer tried to explain the state’s equalization aid formula for schools. Never mind the fact that since it went into effect, no one, including the people who developed it, have ever been able to describe what it is. There was Milzer, sounding like he never attended a Dale Carnegie course.
He continued the state-bashing his comrade in crime, Sue (pickpocket) Huhn did by blasting the state, calling it an “educational Robin Hood.”
If people weren’t nodding off, they might have laughed out loud to hear Milzer boast that they, ”try to run the school district like a business.”
After whining, and sounding a lot like MPS, that Franklin has to accept everyone, including kids who can’t speak English and kids with special needs, Milzer lectured the audience on the QEO and the Consumer Price Index. Hmmm…. I wonder why he chose to talk about the CPI? Inspired by bloggers, ya think?
Milzer also gets the most non-relevant quote of the night award, claiming the Franklin tax rate has gone down 56% since 1986. Uhhh, sorry Jim. It’s the tax levy, stupid, not the tax rate that counts.
This was a typical government public hearing. The so-called experts talk first, and talk a lot before the actual public hearing gets underway at 8:10, one hour and ten minutes after the meeting started.
Most of the speakers sounded as though they were afraid of what the Board might do as far as programs are concerned. With no disrespect intended, I merely inform you what these people said:
My children are involved in the music program. Don’t cut it.
I support the music program. My kids were shy and socially not accepted. Now they have friends thanks to the music program.
Don’t make any cuts. Every person working in Franklin schools is invaluable.
No school district is more dedicated.
If it costs a “few dollars” to raise taxes, go for it.
One speaker said what the heck, we’re paying for Miller Park every time we go to McDonald’s. Not sure what that had to do with local Franklin spending, but he said it, and he also wondered what bloggers would say about the meeting. I hope he’s reading.
A Franklin High student says it’s too crowded in the hallways at school, so again, what’s the problem if it “costs a few dollars more.”
One gentleman actually got up and said he doesn’t like tax increases, but pass this one anyway.
There should have been a video made of the hearing to show Franklin why your taxes are so high. You have yourself to blame.
Fellow blogger Fred Keller spoke at the hearing, and discussed what nobody else in the room wanted to talk about apparently….the proposed tax levy.
Keller accurately said there was an obvious theme: blaming the state, and he didn’t hear any talk about possible cuts to live within the district’s means if state aid wasn’t what it was thought to be.
Board member Sue Huhn, who never interrupted any of the other speakers, snapped at Keller, demanding what cuts he would suggest.
That’s her job, not Fred’s. And what was Fred supposed to do? Whip out a list of cuts Johnny on the spot?
Fred asked if he had the floor, and new School Board President Dave Szychlinski told Huhn that this wasn’t going to turn into a debate.
Fred made comparisons to New Berlin, which has passed a 0.9% tax levy increase, but was bombarded with all kinds of excuses why New Berlin isn’t Franklin.
Fred made a great observation: blame the state if you want, but all school districts have to live under the same laws and rules and conditions. If other districts can open new buildings and only raise the levy 0.9%, why can’t Franklin?
Bryan Maersch also stood up for taxpayers and asked what is the Franklin School Board personally doing to make sure that the state pays for its mandates.
Sue Huhn answered that Franklin belongs to a lobbyist group (she didn’t say lobbying group but she mentioned one) that works on Franklin’s behalf. I, personally, would get new lobbyists or just save Franklin some tax money and lobby on your own.
Huhn also said the “only way” is to increase taxes if state aid is less than anticipated. Wrong. There are always alternatives, if you have the courage to consider them. Unless you’re a big tax and spender. That would be you, Sue.
BOTTOM LINE: Their minds are made up. Get ready to be screwed. I believe it will take an avalanche of public opinion to undo this done deal.
There was a great deal of speculation after the meeting that the buzz inside the Franklin machine has been a lot of rumors that arts classes and teaching positions would be cut. A school board member wondered why so many e-mails to that effect were coming in. No one has said a word about cuts of any kind. I wish they had.
So we can’t cut, not anything, not a single thing, ever. No way, no how. And you wonder why your taxes are so high?
I told you so, Franklin.
Here it comes. Maybe not until late October, but it's coming.
Hold onto your wallets.
What’s inside will be gone very soon.
