Will Towns Who Consolidated Receive Funds From The Penalties Of Those Who Did Not? (Old Town: how much)

[cebdark]

Thoughts?

[Submariner]

The paper that we got which explained the stuff about consolidating Old Town, Alton, Bradley, and Hudson. Said that if those towns failed to vote it 'in' then the state would decrease funding.

The 'fine' was in the form of decreased state funding.

The funding was the state money which pays for the 'unfunded' mandates the school administrators talk about.


If the towns voted it 'in' then the school costs would go 'up' by so much which would go back to the towns to increase their property taxes.

If the towns voted 'no' then the school budget would remain the same; and the state would drop how much they pay into the schools, so the towns' portion of the school budget would increase, and would go back to the towns to increase their property taxes.

Either way results in higher fees for the towns to pay the school district, and higher property taxes.

'Fines'?

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

The paper that we got which explained the stuff about consolidating Old Town, Alton, Bradley, and Hudson. Said that if those towns failed to vote it 'in' then the state would decrease funding.

The 'fine' was in the form of decreased state funding.

The funding was the state money which pays for the 'unfunded' mandates the school administrators talk about.


If the towns voted it 'in' then the school costs would go 'up' by so much which would go back to the towns to increase their property taxes.

If the towns voted 'no' then the school budget would remain the same; and the state would drop how much they pay into the schools, so the towns' portion of the school budget would increase, and would go back to the towns to increase their property taxes.

Either way results in higher fees for the towns to pay the school district, and higher property taxes.

'Fines'?

I guess the "ethical smell" of the whole thing is what bothers me most.
Perhaps I'm just a simpleton, but I think that the whole thing being put on the fast track before the repeal could be voted on is unconstitutional in the first place. Now I hear that the penalties taken from other towns will be distributed to the "good little towns" who cooperated. That's more than a dite "flimflammy" to me. I suppose it would be a moot point anyway since there's no question that the state coffers are draining fast and something had to be done. There's pretty much no question that the high tax rate has to be addressed. People need to be able to pay their bills and keep their homes. I dunno, maybe I'm missing something.

As for unfunded mandates, is that considered part of the EPS? Because I've got to say, that I have seen mandates that have caused property tax increase in the past.

[Submariner]

If you sit on a pool of funds, which are ear-marked to go to 200 school districts. But some school districts suddenly are no longer going to receive their full 'share' of those funds, as a 'fine'.

Then as you sit on the pool of funds. You could say that the funding which does not go out in the previous manner, would now be going out to the schools which do continue to get their full 'share'.

Whoever administrates the funds can not sit on them, the funds must be distributed. So either way. If the funds were not all distributed, then the next time you go to the Federal gubbermint asking for funding, your request will be cut [because you have not fully spent all the money given to you the last time]. The Federal money you must spend it, before you can ask for more.

I have seen this with military funding. Even if you can no longer spend it for the prescribed purpose. It is better to spend it on some other 'need', just to get it spent. Otherwise your projected budget goes down.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I have seen this with military funding. Even if you can no longer spend it for the prescribed purpose. It is better to spend it on some other 'need', just to get it spent. Otherwise your projected budget goes down.

Okay, I see what you mean. I know how that scenario works grrrrrr....
doesn't make it "right" by any means, but that's how it goes.

Fuzzy math. Fear it.