There is a fairly important event scheduled for May 21 at 7 p.m. in the Warsaw School Corp. administration building.
It's a 1028 hearing. That should raise an eyebrow for any Warsaw property taxpayer.
That's when architects, finance guys and attorneys make presentations to the public about plans to build news schools and remodel existing schools.In Warsaw's case, the plan is to build and renovate to the tune of $100 million.
The hearing is required by law.
Now, here's the thing.
Despite how significant this hearing is, I can virtually guarantee there won't be anybody there except teaches, administrators and others attached somehow to the school corporation.
There will be few average taxpayers there, despite the fact that they are the ones who will be asked to foot the bill.
And that's O.K. It's a free country. Don't go.
But if you don't go, don't complain later.
I've been in this business since 1980 at three different newspapers, and I've seen the same scenario play out time and time again.
We run story after story after story about how there's this building program and how it will affect tax rates and we never hear a peep from readers.
But then when it's all said and done, and they get their tax bills, they start writing letters - angry letters.
And they fire barbs at the newspaper.
"Why didn't you tell us they were going to raise our taxes!?"
I politely inform them, that we did, in fact, inform them over and over, but that they just didn't bother to read about it.
We've had a few letters to the editor recently about the new property tax assessments.
People can't believe how much their assessments are going up.
I can't begin to say how many stories we've had in the paper warning them about just that.
The state legislature - in it's recently ended session, enacted property tax reform and relief legislation. This was chronicled quite clearly in the newspaper. (On the back of the front section, under the weather map, where we put the state news each day.)
Nonetheless, property owners whose assessments went up dramatically seem blindsided by it all.
The thing is, by the time you get your bill, it's usually too late to do anything about it.
I know most people think it's futile, but if you arm yourself with information and fire off a cleverly crafted letter and make a few well-placed phone calls, you can get the attention of lawmakers.
If you convince all your friends to do the same, and they convince all their friends to do the same, pretty soon you've got a grassroots movement going.
And trust me, nothing gets the attention of policymakers more than a grassroots movement. I think a more apt name would be a voters movement.
So my advice to taxpayers is pretty simple.
Get informed. Form an opinion. Let policymakers know your opinion.
Even if the chips don't fall your way, at least you know you've given it a shot.
Unless you tell policymakers what you thing, they will amble blithely along thinking they're doing your bidding.
But I am not naive. I know that very few, if any, readers will take my advice.
I need look no further than the results of Tuesday's primary election to assess the level of interest in civic duty around here.
