August 3, 2006

By Lauren Heaton

The Yellow Springs Board of Education does not plan to initiate a school tax levy for the election this November, board members told Village Council in a joint meeting held Monday, July 31. One week before Council votes on whether to ask voters to support a property tax levy that could be as high as $9.83 per mill, Council wanted assurance that the Village levy wouldn’t coincide with a school levy.

Because the schools have traditionally relied on property tax revenue and the Village on income tax revenue, the Village’s initiative to seek a property tax levy likely to fall between $7.50 and $9.83 per mill might seem unconventional, said Council president Jocelyn Hardman. But she believes that the Village is under serious financial pressure that could cause the municipality to run out of money by next summer if nothing is done to increase revenue, she said during the meeting, as Village manager Eric Swansen knodded his head. Diversifying revenue sources will help the Village weather periods of lower income tax revenue when jobs are scarce, she said.

The School Board, having instituted its own income tax levy several years ago, supported the Village’s intent to diversify its funding sources. The schools are in a strong fiscal position where the income matches the revenue, School Board member Richard Lapedes said. But federal and state budget cuts threaten to reduce income for Yellow Springs Schools by as much as $400,000 in the coming years. The schools won’t be ready to consider another levy until May of next year, or possibly November of 2007, Yellow Springs superintendent Tony Armocida said.

Also during the meeting:
• Council and School Board discussed the potential for both boards to partner in supporting a part-time salaried economic development employee to support growth in Yellow Springs and help attract business to the new Center for Business and Education. The Village has set aside $50,000 for such a position so far, Hardman said. School board members agreed their focus was on children, parents and education, and while they supported economic development in the village, spending school money on development might “confuse” school supporters, school board member Richard Lapedes said.

• Council and School Board discussed sharing resources such as facilities, equipment, paving services and the fuel pumps at the high school, which the school buses currently use. Armocida proposed that the Village might consider, for instance, paving the school’s parking lot in exchange for pumping its fuel from the school’s tanks. Council members also expressed interest in looking for extra gym and fitness space in case the Village has to close the recreational parts of the Bryan Community Center building due to budgetary constraints.

• Council suggested the schools plan safety routes for Mills Lawn School students as the Village begins upgrading the water line under Short Street in the fall to allow greater flow for fighting fires in the downtown area.

• School board member Angela Wright volunteered to be a representative to Village Council’s Human Relations Commission.

Contact: lheaton@ysnews.com