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To the editor: Chester-East Lincoln community members have the
opportunity on April 5 to make a difference. The 1-penny sales tax
is on our ballot to help fund the schools of Logan County. We all
know the state is in financial trouble, and funding for schools is
already strained. We have a responsibility to help strengthen our
community through the education of our youth. Part of that
responsibility involves maintaining the facilities in which our
students are educated.
Chester-East Lincoln Board of Education is making every effort to
improve the learning environment of our students and has created a
five-year plan to repair aging facilities. We currently rely on an
old boiler system with inaccessible, faulty, in-floor heating pipes
to warm our building. To be proactive and prevent issues with the
heating system, we have had to issue bonds through standard school
funding channels. The income from the 1-penny sales tax would allow
us to cover the payment of these bonds at no cost to the property
tax owners of our district. This is necessary work that will not
only keep our doors open, but allow our aging boiler to be more
efficient by preventing unintended heat loss.
The countywide sales tax will not be collected on groceries,
vehicle purchases, prescription drugs, medicine, medical supplies,
farm machinery and parts, car repairs, or haircuts. Money generated
can only be used for school facility purposes, such as new roofs,
energy conservation, safety, security and disability access.
[to top of second column in this letter] |
The majority of the school's funding comes from our property
taxes. But, because of the state's financial struggles, we can't
keep asking our landowners to foot the bill. By passing this sales
tax, the money will be spread over a larger number of people. Over 1
million people travel through, or shop in, Logan County each year.
Every one of those people who spends money in Logan County will help
support our education system. For a $45 meal at a restaurant
anywhere in the county, the 1-penny sales tax will provide an
additional 45 cents: money GUARANTEED to be sent to our Logan County
schools and not used for other state funds.
Our students deserve the best from us, and we have a duty to
provide the best we can for them. If you have questions, please let
us know.
Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61
Keith Birnbaum, board president
[Posted
March 28, 2011]
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