Little Miami Earnings Tax: About the Earnings Tax

Home

About the Earnings Tax

Managing Your Tax Dollars

Voter Information

Q & A

Earnings Tax Presentation

Did You Know?

Back to District Web Site

About the Earnings Tax

"The Little Miami community has sent a strong message that the district should move away
from reliance on property taxes. We believe an earnings tax is a better solution to this long standing problem." —
Dan Bennett, Superintendent

"The benefits of an earnings tax are tremendous — this provides the district with the best chance
to stay off the ballot longer term and it is arguably the fairest form of tax." —
Shaun Bevan, Treasurer

Why do we need the money?

Governor Strickland's biennial budget reduced educational funding, resulting in a $6 million loss for Little Miami schools!

Much like your own household, the school district's "cost of living" has changed dramatically:
- Student enrollment has grown by over 1,000 students since 2002.
- The cost of insurance and wages continues to increase.
- Fuel costs have more than doubled in the past four years.

Despite millions of dollars in cost savings measures that the Little Miami School District has implemented over the past several years, the district is facing a financial crisis.

Remember — the bond issue passed in May of 2006 was for new construction and renovations only — not for operating expenses. The district has not had an operating levy on the ballot since 2002. Little Miami operates at the lowest rate allowed by state law — 20 mills.

Why an Earnings Tax vs. Traditional Property Tax?

Over the past number of years, the Little Miami School District has listened to its communities very closely. An earnings tax is perhaps the fairest form of funding education and presents many benefits that the traditional property tax does not. A 1% earnings tax...

Will provide income that will actually grow alongside our population rather than staying constant despite that growth!

Safeguards your family's investment and retirement income and is tax deductible!

Provides an opportunity for the district to stay off the ballot for operating expenses for many years to come!

Will NOT place burden on our local senior population!

What if we do not pass the issue?

Because of the way an earnings tax is collected, Little Miami voters will have only one chance to Break the Cycle of relying on property taxes to fund education. If the earnings tax issue fails...

Little Miami will be forced to return to the ballot in February and/or May with a traditional property tax levy of approximately 8-10 mills.

By the 2009-2010 school year, Little Miami will be faced with making nearly $4 million in budget cuts — the effects on our student population and community would be staggering.

Possible cuts may include:

Hiring freeze

Wage increase freeze

Full pay to participate for all extracurricular activities ($600- $800 per student per sport/program)

Elimination of all athletics and extracurricular activities

State minimum program offerings at the Junior High — eliminate electives, gifted programming and high school credit options

State minimum program offerings at the High School -- elimination of AP and elective course offerings

State minimum program offerings at the Elementary and Intermediate Buildings — no specials including art, music, gym, keyboarding and gifted programming

Reduce number of buildings in operation by closing older buildings or not opening the new junior high and intermediate schools

Staff reductions across the district — administrators, teachers, nurses, guidance counselors, custodial, office, secretarial, aides, etc.

No High School bussing and no bussing within 2 miles of the school

What is taxed?

What is NOT taxed?

Who does it affect?

Why is an earnings tax a better solution?

How is an earnings tax collected?

How did we get here?