Dist. 73 insensitive to tax payers

Per School District 73 Superintendent Sue Zook’s presentation at the June 13 District 73 xchool board meeting and per the District 73 website, the expected School District 73 2011-2012 revenue is $55.4 million and the 2011-2012 expected expenditures are $57.6 million.

This is an increase in expenditures of 9.9 percent and an increase in revenue (real estate taxes) of 7.4 percent compared to the previous year’s budget (2010-2011). Proposed 2011-12 expenditures are $57,562,094 compared to the proposed 2010-11 Expenditures of $52,356,260. Proposed 2011-12 receipts are $55,441,042 compared to the proposed 2010-11 receipts of $51,602,261, a 7.4 percent increase. This will amount to a 7 percent to 10 percent real estate tax increase for District 73’s portion of our real estate tax.

The school district tries to put a positive spin on this 10 percent increase in spending by stating that they have a balanced budget. The only reason that the budget is balanced is because the school board raised the revenue (taxes) by 7.4 percent. With the economy in the tank, with the unemployment rate at 9.9 percent, with people losing their jobs or having to work multiple jobs, with ordinary private sector people not getting pay raises or Social Security raises, with people losing their homes because they can’t pay their mortgage and taxes, how can the District 73 justify an increase in expenditures of 9.9 percent and a District 73 tax increase of 7 percent to 10 percent?

The District 73 school board has again shown their insensitivity to the plight of the taxpayers. Their philosophy continues to be tax to the max and spend to the max. They just continue to ride on the backs of the taxpayers and keep raising the taxes.

Chet Lis

Vernon Hills