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Juyly 9 Article

What will be the tax impact on district members if the school referendum passes?

 

There is no good way to talk about taxes.  No one likes them.  However, as long as there are children to educate, taxes will have to be levied for their education, and property owners will always pay school taxes to support a school district.  If there is no school in the city of Parkers Prairie, District 547 would be absorbed by surrounding districts, and tax dollars would go to those districts at the tax rate imposed by those districts. 

 

If the school referendum passes there will be a tax increase. First the School Board determines how much money it needs per pupil to maintain our high standard of education.  The referendum then asks the voters to approve that per pupil amount.  The amount requested per pupil is NOT the amount that each taxpayer will have to pay.

 

Rather, the total amount requested is spread throughout the entire district based on the combined  value of each parcel of property being taxed.  The parcels being taxed would only include an individual’s home, garage and up to one acre of property.  The tax would not be on an entire farm or seasonal property, and businesses would be taxed according to a formula prescribed by state law, which has been in place for some time.

 

Once the Board determines the per pupil amount needed, each taxpayer will have several opportunities provided by Strong Schools Form Our Future Committee members to calculate their projected tax increase. The information will be available online, and for those individuals who have no internet access or are uncomfortable using a computer, assistance will be provided at locations and times to be determined.  No one will have to vote without knowing his/her tax increase ahead of time. Individuals on fixed or low incomes may qualify for the “circuit breaker” which gives them a refund on some of the tax that they have to pay.