Board of Trustees Promise to Colstrip Taxpayers

 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

 

 

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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