Letter to the editor: Longtime Tonganoxie resident concerned about bond issue
To the editor:
My feeling is that the City Council is making an attempt to control costs and expenditures — current and future. Good for them. The fall elections were a shot across the bow by demanding elected officials reign in the out-of-control spending that’s been going on for years.
There should be some concern that the school board and administration didn’t get the message. A $26.9 million dollar bond issue plus a possible $4.5 million for road access would be a huge increase in the mill levy for today’s economy. All of this plus the article about our new governor promising to cut state spending, as we the people elected him to do, leaves me wondering: What are they thinking? It will be hard enough to overcome the estimated $400,000 reduced state funding in 2011-12, let alone taking on a brand new facility. Remember the water line and sidewalk fiasco at the middle school? In the end, the taxpayer foots the bill.
I remember attending a pre-election meeting of school board candidates. Several stated “it is all about the kids.” I agree with that regarding inside schools’ walls, but getting the walls built should be about taxpayers. Nobody wants to see program and personnel cutbacks, but sometimes it has to happen.
My wife and I have lived here for 25 years, raised our children in Tonganoxie schools, have grandchildren here now and it’s still a good place to raise a family. We’ve voted for some past school bonds and against some. You can’t win every time. Board members, administration and task force are well intentioned, but now is not the time for another school bond issue.
Ron Snapp,
Tonganoxie