A ballot initiative

ohiorod

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i have never had trouble deciding about an election. Either I don’t care about a race or I have strong feelings about one. And I never miss the opportunity to vote and not only that I usually vote early. This year, I can’t decide about a school levy. I’ve never voted against a library, community park, senior citizens or bus levy despite the facts that those issues are not issues that affect me or services I use, but I have always voted in favor to keep our community and people vibrant.
However, this year our school system has asked for a very expensive levy that will do lots of remodeling, new construction etc. At the same time our assessor just mailed out our new home appraisals and my home went up by $65,000 since the last appraisal. With that info, I have figured that my taxes on my home will go up $1200 more per year. Yes, I have an income and a beautiful large home, but I am questioning whether I want to spend $1200 more per year when I will never have a child in school and I feel that the levy is much too ambitious. It is odd to feel different than I usually do about community issues and truthfully, I can afford the increase, but I definitely don’t like it. Guess I’ve got till Tuesday to decide.⏰
 

Perados

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So there are two point.

1. You like to support your community
2. You don't like that you will have to pay more.

In this case you should find out how useful the money wiĺl get spend. It may will help to make a desition.
 

Klingsor

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i have never had trouble deciding about an election. Either I don’t care about a race or I have strong feelings about one. And I never miss the opportunity to vote and not only that I usually vote early. This year, I can’t decide about a school levy. I’ve never voted against a library, community park, senior citizens or bus levy despite the facts that those issues are not issues that affect me or services I use, but I have always voted in favor to keep our community and people vibrant.
However, this year our school system has asked for a very expensive levy that will do lots of remodeling, new construction etc. At the same time our assessor just mailed out our new home appraisals and my home went up by $65,000 since the last appraisal. With that info, I have figured that my taxes on my home will go up $1200 more per year. Yes, I have an income and a beautiful large home, but I am questioning whether I want to spend $1200 more per year when I will never have a child in school and I feel that the levy is much too ambitious. It is odd to feel different than I usually do about community issues and truthfully, I can afford the increase, but I definitely don’t like it. Guess I’ve got till Tuesday to decide.⏰

I'll take your problems if you'll take mine.
 

Chrysippus

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Guess I’ve got till Tuesday to decide.

It’s not as though your decision/single vote will make the difference now. Did you get involved in a political effort to persuade other taxpayers to defeat the levy? Because in an election, the majority decides the issue. You probably missed your chance to defeat the levy.

Or you could move to a kinderfrei location where you don’t pay for school infrastructure and teachers’ salaries... :). And since you have never had property threatened by fire, you shouldn’t have to pay for the fire department...

Honestly, I think your post is silly: In a civil society we all share in footing the bill for public-good services we may never use but which benefit the common good.
 

ohiorod

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So, I made a decision when I was out doing errands to go ahead and vote. I did not participate in any efforts to promote or defeat the levy because I truly was conflicted. Some may decide it is silly, but everyone has an opinion. I wrote the post because I was truly conflicted and could feel two sides of the moral compass pulling me. I want good schools but I am also concerned about seniors and others who are on fixed incomes who will also have to foot the bill. This is the first levy I have ever seen that had an almost equal number of signs saying vote no. I have never in my life seen a campaign to stop a school levy. I heard their arguments about how landlords raise their rent to get their tax money back. I am also aware that Marcellus shale workers have driven up rents for three straight years. It wasn’t til I saw the impact it had on a $350,000 home like mine til I realized how it would hit minimum age workers or seniors who live off social security. Silly to some, but as a social worker I care about others.
 
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