VWCS seeks continuing income tax levy

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The need for a steady source of revenue has Van Wert City Schools looking at making the district’s 1-percent, five-year income tax levy permanent.

A group of school and community leaders met Monday to discuss a decision to make the income tax issue a continuing levy — which would mean it would not need to be renewed in the future.

Superintendent Ken Amstutz said making the levy a continuing one would not cost taxpayers any more money annually, adding that, while the district has made significant budgets cuts over the past several years and will do more cost cutting in the future, a stable source of income is needed to offset declining state funding.

“The reason we are doing it that way is the money needs are not going to go away,” Amstutz said. “We recognize that.”

Citing a number of cost-cutting measures taking over the past few years, the VWCS superintendent said he feels school administrators have been frugal with taxpayers’ money.

“I believe we have been very good stewards of your tax dollars,” Amstutz told those at the meeting. “Are we going to continue to do that? Yes. We believe that we have done what the voters have asked us to do in the past, and we will continue to do that.”

The superintendent also noted that a variety of staff retirements this year will also lower costs, while the district is also planning to make significant cuts in the teaching staff this year. However, he noted there is only so much that can be done to lower educational expenses — especially when 70-80 percent of district expenses are personnel-related.

“We will continue to do that (cut costs) as best as we can, but at some point in time it’s going to be where we can’t cut any more,” Amstutz said. “We’re getting to the point where that’s where we are at.”

Making a presentation at the meeting was Jerry Rampelt of Support Ohio Schools, a non-profit school levy consultancy group.

Rampelt talked about the nuts and bolts of running a school levy campaign, noting that three factors are crucial in the passage of a school levy: time, money and leadership. The consultant said the district needs to raise approximately $1.51 in private funds for every vote to provide money to conduct a levy campaign, and added that between 70 and 80 percent of that money needs to be spent on direct voter contact: printing, postage and phones, for the most part.

He also noted that the most successful campaigns focus on door-to-door canvassing and volunteers who telephone potential voters.

While one community member, Walt Goudy, said he feels the district needs to make the tax issue one that would be assessed on earned income only — which would exempt investment income of retirees — doing so was not something supported by a majority of those at the meeting, mostly because it would significantly decrease the levy’s chances for passage.

Noting that it took two times for the levy to be renewed five years ago, Amstutz said he was reluctant to do anything to hamper passage of the issue in May. The levy currently brings in approximately $2.3 million annually in tax revenues. Without those revenues, school officials said deep cuts would have to be made — cuts that would affect the district’s educational programs.

Rampelt agreed, citing statistics that show that, while renewal levies have an 80-90 percent passage rate in Ohio, voters pass less than half of levies seeking additional money.

The Van Wert City Board of Education will consider whether to place the levy renewal on the ballot in May during its January meeting this Wednesday, starting at 5 p.m., in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.