York Town News
School Committee discusses TABOR
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - The Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) was just one of an array of items with potential implications for local education discussed at the School Committee's Aug. 2 meeting.In addition to reports on a York Housing Authority plan to provide workforce housing and an update on a proposal to educate Ogunquit students in York, the committee looked at the School Department's financial standing as of the end of the fiscal 2006 year.
The School Department had met its financial obligations without going into the red, although the expenditures in energy and fuel - due to climbing costs - were higher than expected.
Assistant Superintendent Jim Amoroso confirmed there was a $178,000 surplus - a tiny percentage of the budget for the fiscal year that came to its close in July - and that energy was a major issue
Maintenance expenses were up as well, he said, related to costs of fuel and electricity.
Talk of budget season and spending led to discussion of the Maine Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a citizen initiated referendum to limit state, county and local spending, set to be on the ballot in November.
In the months ahead, the School Committee agreed work must be done to educate local voters on the implications of the plan.
According to its summary, the TABOR bill, as it is known, "proposes to restrain the growth in state and local government by imposing expenditure limitations on state and local government and by requiring a procedure of voter approval of tax and fee increases."
State and town spending would be limited to increases in population and inflation while school budget increases would be limited to increases in inflation and student enrollment.
"Under this bill, an increase in revenue would be possible only by a 2/3 vote of each House of the Legislature or the legislative body of a local district or the governing body of a quasi-governmental agency and the approval of the voters of the jurisdiction, if applicable," the summary states.
TABOR has been a cause of concern for the School Department as it would not account for unavoidable increases in energy costs, health care and previously-approved contracts, to name a few.
School Committee Chairwoman Patty Hymanson pointed out that the York School Department has used its increase in special education funding from the state through Legislative Document 1 - from about $600,000 up to about $2 million - to offset taxes, indicating that the schools strive to be fiscally responsible.
She said she hopes the voters in York will recognize that and will take the time learn about the negative implications of TABOR.
"We have used that money in the way that it was meant to be used," she said. "… As this TABOR initiative goes forward, it's important for us to get that message out."
Amoroso agreed.
"There are communities that saw that money as a windfall," he said of other districts that did not use the funds to offset the local tax burden and, thus, contributed to the taxation frustration spurring TABOR along.
As the question is not a constitutional amendment, the Maine Legislature will have the final say on how it is enacted, and the School Committee hopes that if it is not supported in York, there will be room for York legislators to fight a local imposition of TABOR.
"We're all gearing up to understand the local impact this would have as the voters go to vote for this in November," Hymanson said.
