Dear Editor,

Mr. Fanelli is indeed correct on his school tax “mils” values from year 2009 to 2016 (47 mils in 2009 and up to 53.5 mils in 2016). He further states that the school board is limited on how much of a percentage increase they may apply without a tax payer referendum vote. That’s where I’m confused since I’ve read that the percentage increase without a referendum vote is roughly 3.5% but my primary residence tax, from 2015 to 2016, has gone up by 8.16%.

It turns out that my school tax (and yours too likely) is related to three items. First is the assessed value of your home, second is the “reduction” on the assessed value of your home applied thru the Homestead Act (assuming you applied and received the Homestead Act reduction) and third is the “mil” value applied by the school district.

For 2016 the Homestead Act allowable “reduction” on my assessed home value went down by 6.16% from 2015. And, as a matter of fact, in 2016 the Homestead Act reduction value is at the lowest its ever been since year 2009. School tax is based on your (home assessed value – minus your Homestead Act allowable reduction) multiplied by the “school tax mils value divided by 1,000”.

It turns out the school tax “mils” only went up by 2.89% from 2015 or well within the 3.50% allowable without a referendum vote. However, with my Homestead Act assessed value reduction of 6.16%, those two combined drove my school tax up 8.16% over year 2015 school tax. This information can all be found on the back of your tax statement. I have no idea what the school has done with this extra money, beyond the 2015 taxes, but it would seem that about all taxpayers have experienced the same increase in their school tax if under the Homestead Act.

I watch this closely as I have two places in Warren County so I pay school taxes twice – even though one is a summer camp only occupied for 4 months out of the year. The Homestead Act can only be applied to a primary residence so my camp school tax is higher than home (by 140% to 155%).

I’m on a fixed income and the government hasn’t increased our COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for 2 years (the prior year was only 1.7%), even though all my medical coverage expenses have gone up roughly 8% every year. The government, in their infinite wisdom, believes “the cost of goods and services” has been flat and they’ve chastised us, or so they say, based on the low cost of gasoline.

Maybe, instead of verbally attacking the school board members, as Mr. Honhart eluded to, someone might ask where this additional tax increase is going, if it is indeed across the board for all tax payers on the Homestead Act. If you’re going after the school board – you’d better have some “facts” – anger won’t get you anywhere. We all want more money, don’t we?

Dennis Corey, Youngsville