by Robert "Bob" Lewandowski
Colstrip
Taxpayer,
On
April 4, 2022, the Colstrip School Board of Trustees passed the following
resolution to assure the taxpayers of Colstrip that although the board has
voted to bring an annual levy to the voters on May 3rd, the levy amounts will
be reduced or eliminated with Coal Gross Proceed revenues.
The
annual levies allow the District to provide competitive salaries and wages to
our employees in order to attract and retain the best professionals and
services for our children.
The
Board wants you to know that as you vote for the general fund levies, the taxed
amounts identified in the levy language will be reduced, if not eliminated by
revenues from Coal Gross Proceeds in fiscal year 2023. When you review your ballot for the May election, please remember: Your “yes”
vote will provide the school with budget authority with little or no cost to
the taxpayer. Please call the
District Office if you have any questions at 406-748-4699.
See
the attached Adopted Resolution: Promise
to Colstrip Taxpayers for
details.
Thank
you for your support,
Colstrip
School Board of Trustees
Tanya
Bradley, Bruce Brown, Steve Becker, DeeAnne Egan, Sabrina Neiman
***************************************************
PROMISE TO
COLSTRIP TAXPAYERS
WHEREAS:
the Board of Trustees of Colstrip Public Schools voted at its meeting of
March 30, 2022, to propose an increase in its general fund operating levies for
both the elementary and high school districts; and
WHEREAS:
the amount of the increased levy was set at the minimum amount needed to
allow the Board to adopt the prior year’s budget with minor adjustments; and
WHEREAS: the Board of Trustees also agreed
it would not impose any levies authorized during the May 2022 election to the
extent that the district has access to other non-levy revenues to fund the
general fund budget; and
WHEREAS: the Board of Trustees will rely on revenues
from the Coal Gross Proceeds tax that are due to Colstrip Public Schools
pursuant to law, to reduce and/or eliminate any increase in any levies
authorized during the May 2022 election; and
WHEREAS: the Board of Trustees wishes to
document its directions to its staff leadership team in this regard and to
provide an assurance to the Colstrip community.
BE IT RESOLVED:
1. The Board of Trustees directs its
staff to provide the Board with the FY23 Montana Department of Revenue
estimates of Coal Gross Proceeds at the first regular board meeting after said
estimates are received in the spring of FY22.
2. The Board of Trustees directs that
staff provide an estimate of the distribution based on current law of said Coal
Gross Proceeds to the district’s FY23 budgeted funds no later than the date of
its budget work session prior to the annual budget meeting currently scheduled
for August 9, 2022. The Board recognizes that increases/decreases in taxable valuation,
which will not be certified until August 2022, could offset the effects of Coal
Gross Proceeds during the budget adoption process.
3. The Board of Trustees directs staff to
specifically identify Coal Gross Proceeds revenues by its annual budget meeting,
currently scheduled for August 9, 2022, for use by the Board of Trustees to
eliminate, or if insufficient to eliminate, to reduce any increase in levies
authorized during the May 2022 election. The Board further directs that any
Coal Gross Proceeds received by the district for fiscal year 2023 be used as
the first dollar source of revenue to reduce what would otherwise be covered by
approved school levies authorized by a vote of the public during
the May 2022 election. Imposition of levies approved during the May 2022
election will only occur if Coal Gross Proceeds revenues received by the
district for FY23 fall short of anticipated amounts.
ADOPTED
ON: April 4, 2022
ADOPTED
BY: Colstrip Public School Board of Trustees
