Informed Decision II

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By -

Editor, Times-Union:
As president of Kosciusko County Farm Bureau I would like to give the taxpayers of Kosciusko County the following information regarding the Warsaw Community Schools referendum so they can make an informed decision which will appear on the ballot for the May 5 election.  
The referendum states that “if passed, the property tax rate for debt service will increase by a maximum of 13.8 cents per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation over the twenty-year life of the bonds.”  Do you know what this really means?    
If this referendum passes:    
• The average homeowner will pay an estimated additional $74.35 per year above the current tax bill.
• Farmland will pay an estimated additional $3.34 per acre per year. The average farm size in Kosciusko County is 204 acres.  This will cost landowners approximately $681.36 above the current tax bill.
• These increased payments will continue for 19 years and 7 months.
• The incurred debt of $39,900,000 is principal only.  It does not include the estimated annual interest rate of between 2.5 percent and 5.03 percent.
• This debt is above the property tax caps put in place to protect taxpayers from property tax increases.
• It does create a new elementary school and renovates 2 schools with improved safety, security, functionality, and technology-ready learning environments.
As president of the county farm bureau and a former public school educator, I am in favor of making sure that our kids and grandkids have a safe and encouraging environment to learn.  They are the future leaders of tomorrow and we all want for them to be prepared to better the city, county, state and world that we all live in today. However, many folks have commented about how little it will cost each taxpayer, if you own a business or a nice home or farmland the story is not the same.  If you haven’t figured how much it will cost you for the next 20 years I encourage you to do so before May 5. Then we can all make a wise decision about the future.  
All registered voters living in Clay, Lake, Plain, Prairie, and Wayne townships (Warsaw Community Schools District) are eligible to vote.
It is the responsibility of Kosciusko County Farm Bureau to make sure that all of our members are informed on the issues and the decisions that we make that will affect the future of our community and our families for years to come. Please exercise your right to vote on May 5.
Robert Bishop
President Kosciusko County Farm Bureau[[In-content Ad]]

Editor, Times-Union:
As president of Kosciusko County Farm Bureau I would like to give the taxpayers of Kosciusko County the following information regarding the Warsaw Community Schools referendum so they can make an informed decision which will appear on the ballot for the May 5 election.  
The referendum states that “if passed, the property tax rate for debt service will increase by a maximum of 13.8 cents per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation over the twenty-year life of the bonds.”  Do you know what this really means?    
If this referendum passes:    
• The average homeowner will pay an estimated additional $74.35 per year above the current tax bill.
• Farmland will pay an estimated additional $3.34 per acre per year. The average farm size in Kosciusko County is 204 acres.  This will cost landowners approximately $681.36 above the current tax bill.
• These increased payments will continue for 19 years and 7 months.
• The incurred debt of $39,900,000 is principal only.  It does not include the estimated annual interest rate of between 2.5 percent and 5.03 percent.
• This debt is above the property tax caps put in place to protect taxpayers from property tax increases.
• It does create a new elementary school and renovates 2 schools with improved safety, security, functionality, and technology-ready learning environments.
As president of the county farm bureau and a former public school educator, I am in favor of making sure that our kids and grandkids have a safe and encouraging environment to learn.  They are the future leaders of tomorrow and we all want for them to be prepared to better the city, county, state and world that we all live in today. However, many folks have commented about how little it will cost each taxpayer, if you own a business or a nice home or farmland the story is not the same.  If you haven’t figured how much it will cost you for the next 20 years I encourage you to do so before May 5. Then we can all make a wise decision about the future.  
All registered voters living in Clay, Lake, Plain, Prairie, and Wayne townships (Warsaw Community Schools District) are eligible to vote.
It is the responsibility of Kosciusko County Farm Bureau to make sure that all of our members are informed on the issues and the decisions that we make that will affect the future of our community and our families for years to come. Please exercise your right to vote on May 5.
Robert Bishop
President Kosciusko County Farm Bureau[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Elevator Shaft Takes Shape As Construction Revs Up At Union Station Lofts
The first major sign of construction, an elevator shaft, is now visible at the site of the future apartments and commercial development on the old Gatke property on McKinley Street in Warsaw.

Tech Blog Says EV Truck Plant Coming To Warsaw
The former LSC Communications plant on Old 30 West in Warsaw looks like it may be the future home of a production site for Slate Auto’s EV truck.

Kosciusko Community YMCA Announces New Turf Installation At K21 Sports Complex This May
Kosciusko Community YMCA announced that the new turf at the K21 Sports Complex will be installed and ready for use in May.

Habitat For Humanity To Celebrate ReStore’s Sixth Anniversary
Habitat for Humanity of Kosciusko County is celebrating six years of operating its ReStore in Warsaw.

Grace Journalism Student Chosen For Summer World Journalism Institute
WINONA LAKE - Anna Kezar, a North Berwick, Maine, native studying journalism at Grace College in Winona Lake, is one of 32 young journalists selected to participate in this year’s World Journalism Institute (WJI), a prestigious two-week training intensive for young Christian journalists.