Why I Voted Against The Proposed School Board Budget - And Response

  • Friday, April 17, 2015

There are a couple of reasons I am voting against the budget proposed by the superintendent.  Although Mr. Smith’s vision to give our teachers a five percent raise and add art and foreign language in our elementary schools is commendable, the politics of a property tax increase of 40 cents that he injected into this discussion early on is ill timed and not well advised.  

It is not the school board’s role to push for more taxes to expand government.  In our local form of government that is a matter to be settled by the county mayor and County Commission.  If our needs are so great and overdue then why wasn’t this proposal brought last year when the mayor’s office, all nine commission seats, and half the school board were on the ballot?  If that would have been the case the voters would have had a say about their government and its expansion.  After all, it is taxpayer’s money, not the government’s money.  

At this point in this discussion I have not heard a loud out cry for more taxes from the home owners of District 3.  No one is knocking on my door saying please raise our property taxes. 

For us to put our funding body, the County Commission, in the political cross hairs of a tax increase, seems a little disingenuous to me at this time.  The most difficult vote the County Commission will ever make is to take more hard earned money from the paychecks of its citizens to fund more government.  And yet I will admit sometimes they have to make that call even when it is unpopular.

But why are we asking them to do their most difficult job – raising property taxes – when the school board has not had a serious discussion about our most difficult job? In my opinion that would be a discussion about consolidating schools that are greatly under capacity.  Why have we not had a serious discussion about rezoning when we have some schools that are not fully utilized?

Until we are willing to take that mantle on our shoulders, why are we asking the County Commission to take up their heavy burden? 

Dr. Greg Martin 

* * * 

Dr. Martin, I read your explanation of why you voted against the school budget proposed by Superintendent Rick Smith. 

In response to your comments I offer some thoughts for your consideration. 

Teachers had have few raises over the last 25 years while prices for food, fuel, home heating and cooling and medical expenses have risen. In the free market, that's what happens. But since schools are not like a business they must rely on school boards and superintendents to propose raises to the funding body of the county, the Commission. 

School boards in Tennessee are not independent as in other states so they can't tax. County Commissions are the funding body and the school board can't "take the mantle on their shoulders" as you state. Dr. Martin, the burden will always be on the Commission when taxes are involved. That's their job and they knew that when they ran for office. School boards should be the advocates for students and teachers. 

And yes, I'm sure no one is beating a path to your door asking for their taxes to be raised. I don't like to pay more either. But I know everyone wants schools to produce the best quality student to compete in a world market. They just don't want to pay the price. 

That's because of two things: we pay far too much in federal taxes for very little local return. For example look how hard it is to get a new lock on the Chickamauga Dam, but we spend $50 billion a year in foreign aid like its nothing. 

After having so much in federal taxes taken from us, we don't have a lot of expendable money left for state and local projects which directly affect us all. 

It is as you say, Dr. Martin, the taxpayer's money. But the school board and the County Commission have to make tough choices and sometimes that means paying the price for the best we can provide. 

And yes, everyone benefits from a well educated population. I don't have children in school any more, but I have people service my car, prepare and serve food to me in restaurants, assist me with prescriptions at the pharmacy, keep my family safe as first responders, serve as school board members, teachers and commissioners and take care of my grandchildren. And possibly some day they will care for me when I can't care for myself, as you may also Dr. Martin. 

Don't you want those people to be well educated? If so, there is and always will be a price to pay. We have to prioritize and do the right thing. 

Ralph Miller



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