Vote no on the school levy increase

Concerning another tax increase in Ozark County: at some point we have to say Enough!  Every single time we have an election, we’re being asked by this group or that to increase our taxes.  The school district is now asking to increase our property taxes a whopping 27 percent so they can raise teacher salaries, build a greenhouse, build an unnecessary storm shelter and remove perfectly good classroom doors to install stronger ones, among other things.

While it has high emotional value, the probability of a gunman taking over the school is extremely low.  For those concerned, instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on unnecessary new doors, let’s do something much more practical like spending $200 putting a sign out front saying, “Our teachers are ARMED. Make our day, Punk!”

The idea of a storm striking the school that is strong enough to require a shelter is also high emotion but has a very, very low probability of occurring. Please, let’s not waste our money this way. 

As far as a greenhouse goes, it’s just more expensive non-necessities the taxpayer has to fund. I spent my working career in the commercial greenhouse industry and not only are greenhouses costly upfront, they are also very expensive to heat and cool since they have no insulation to speak of. This is another very bad idea budget-wise and will only increase the school’s heating and cooling bills.

Finally, increasing teacher salaries is just downright unfair to the rest of us. Not only do teachers already make more money that the average wage earner in Ozark County, they only work nine months of the year, plus they get a fat pension to boot when they retire. Please, vote NO on the tax levy increase!

 

Bob Warrick

Gainesville

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423