Seniors, beware of Dist. 57 referendum

If you are a senior residential taxpayer in Mount Prospect District 57, beware.

Dr. Aumiller and the school board are at it again - they have a referendum on the March 20 ballot that may force some of us out of our homes.

Many of us seniors already struggle to get by. The excessively high tax burden is an outrage that must be reduced, not increased.

District 57 will tell you that the value of your home is higher because of the district's high quality of education. That knowledge is nice, but it will not help you pay the bill.

District 57 is responsible for 33 percent of your total tax bill and District 214 takes another 33 percent. These districts need to control their spending habits and live with increases the taxpayers can absorb.

An increase of half of what the referendum asks for, would be more reasonable.

The District 57 superintendent should show she understands taxpayers' plight and immediately freeze her pay and that of her entire administration. Better yet, take a cut in pay and benefits of 10 percent or 20 percent. That way, there might be more public support for her and the school board.

It seems to me that these boards are trying to force seniors and others on fixed incomes out of their homes. They hope to get younger people with good-paying jobs to move into what used to be our homes - homes we worked a lifetime for and where we planned to live out our remaining years.

We worked heard to make Mount Prospect the wonderful community that it is. Tell District 57 to live within its means as we must do. Get out and vote! A NO vote on March 20 will hopefully allow us to remain in our homes and live the American dream a little longer.

Jerry Boldt

Mount Prospect