Letter: Bond proposal flyer is misleading about tax rate

School District U-46 recently sent out a flyer of "5 Facts" about the upcoming bond proposal that is on the April 4 ballot. The flyer states this is a "zero tax rate change"; however, the district conveniently omitted Fact #6. Without approval of these new bonds, the tax rate will go down.

For far too long, the taxpayer, an important stakeholder in the educational system, has not been part of the equation. There has been little or no consideration given to the taxpayer.

Every year the district tax levy is near the maximum allowed and at almost $350 million of tax revenue, this is a sizable amount of new taxes. Yet the number of students in the district continues to decline.

I fully understand that with the state's lack of adequate educational funding, an excessive burden is placed on the local taxpayer. But maybe there is an opportunity here to provide some much-needed taxpayer relief by cutting the size of the new bond purchase, thereby reducing the bond debt causing a tax rate decrease.

This would delay or eliminate some building projects, but if not a critical life safety issue, a delay and new plan should be doable. Time to put the taxpayer in the equation. The former superintendent commented that the district should remain perpetually in debt with taxpayers paying over $30 million a year in debt service. How does this statement make the taxpayer a respected stakeholder?

This only builds on the taxpayer's feeling of frustration and lack of financial trust in the District.

Voters, don't be misled by this bond proposal. A no vote means the district tax rate will decrease and so should your taxes. Homeowners have to live within their means. The district needs to do the same.

Bob Bucaro

Bartlett