Tax digest could shrink 10%; schools bracing for big hit

Jackson County officials are bracing for more severe budget challenges amid speculation that the property tax digest for Jackson County could dip by 10-20 percent following reassessments this year.

“Right now it’s really tentative,” noted Hunter Bicknell, chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. “There’s been a little work trying to estimate it and it looks like somewhere as much as 10 percent shrinkage for the coming year.”

As tough as it will be for Jackson County to absorb a 10-percent reduction, the situation is far worse for the county school system.
“If there is a 10-percent reduction, which is a definite possibility, the school system’s one mill would be reduced by about $162,000,” said Jackson County School System’s assistant superintendent for finance and information services, Jeff Sanchez, in an e-mail response to an inquiry. “The total loss would be somewhere around $3 million.”

“That’s huge,” commented Shannon Adams, superintendent of the Jackson County School System. “I hope they’re mistaken about it. If it’s true, it’s going to be a real disaster.”

If it happens, said Adams, the system will have no choice but to implement its third reduction in force (RIF – layoffs) in four years.
“If the county digest comes in like that, we will have to cut people,” he stated. “This is terrible news.”

Complicating the matter is that school systems are supposed to have their teachers under contract by May 15, but the tax digest won’t be finalized until mid-summer.

Comments

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#1 Disillusioned on 05/04/11 at 12:20 PM [Reply]

We sent billions to the Wall Street bankers who orchestrated this disaster while sacrificing the future by failing to fund our schools.

We should have sold war bonds to pay for Iraq & Afghanistan (it's not too late) and instituted the draft in order for our country to more equitably shoulder the load of such a prolonged conflict.

What happened to us?

#2 Figure it out BOE! on 05/04/11 at 01:23 PM [Reply]

Well I guess filling the unnecessary position for assistant superintendent looks very foolish. The position was cut about two years ago! Not the best decision coming from the BOE during all the budget cuts!

#3 Top of the RIF list on 05/04/11 at 03:50 PM [Reply]

I would like to know who the voting public thinks should be #1 on the RIF list. Why lay off three or four lower paid employees when you can lay off one higher paid employee? If it has to be done, think about how many will be affected. Sad, but sensible. One family or four?

#3.1 RETIRED AND HAPPY on 05/13/11 at 05:57 AM [Reply]

I agree with you on this one, but you know as well as i do, the litte and lesser paid person is always chosen first.

#4 clueless on 05/04/11 at 07:37 PM [Reply]

The last RIF was ridiculous. JCCHS laid off academic teachers and hired coaches! The system cut positions that effected students and kept management that does nothing. Too many administrators-- and we are still paying 2 band directors $90,00.00!!!

#5 concerned taxpayer on 05/05/11 at 04:26 AM [Reply]

too many chiefs and not enough Indians!! BOE will not cut administrators as they are all in bed together. each one knows too much about the other. BOE does not have the cajones to do the right thing. certainly helps to be named "Adams"

#5.1 HAPPY TO BE RETIRED on 05/13/11 at 06:01 AM [Reply]

DAM, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT NOTICED THAT.

#6 farmboy on 05/06/11 at 10:31 AM [Reply]

This is a sign of a county getting to big to quick with not enough brain power to know or understand things.Public safety does need reworked in this county.There are positions elsewhere that could be cut in this county without having to get rid of teachers, also this county has to many school districts, why not build bigger schools and combine them like they used to be, middle school with the high schools, here is a fact the more buildings you have in a system the more money you have to fork out on everything as for as keeping them up, etc. Again we need people who has common sense and uses it, it is getting very hard to find anyone with common sense anymore!

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Tax digest could shrink 10%; schools bracing for big hit

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Tax digest could shrink 10%; schools bracing for big hit

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