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Top Ten Reasons Why We Should Vote NO on the
BISD Millage Increase On August 7th
10. THIS IS A LOOOOONG-TERM TAX INCREASE More money out of our pockets IS a Tax Increase. AND it WILL be
permanent. Our county has a history of not eliminating a millage once it has passed. That is why the BISD is asking
for “only” 5 years now. They know if this passes it will probably never go away. It is time to say NO.
9. OUR LOCAL K-12 SCHOOLS WILL SUFFER If we keep increasing the BISD millage, there will be no funds to give to
our local K-12 schools to build or remodel--Just ask Bronson.
8. SPECIAL ED IS NOT IN THE RED The Special Education department made a profit last year of $40,865 and ended the
year with $2,077,861 in the Special Education fund. The BISD as a whole ended 2010-11 with an overall fund
balance of $7,259,501. The reason they borrowed money was to have liquid funds on hand until the tax payments
came in. They were NOT out of money. Check out their audit report on the BISD website.
7. ENROLLMENT IS DOWN--IT IS TIME TO CUT SPENDING Since 1997-98 the three schools served by the BISD have
lost nearly 1,000 students, and our birthrate is declining. It should be downsizing to compensate. It should be
reducing the millage instead of asking for more. At a time of recession EVERYONE has to cut spending.
6. LOCAL STUDENTS PAY MORE THAN OUT- OF- DISTRICT Coldwater, Quincy, and Bronson taxpayers are paying
over $10,000 per student to provide the BISD services. Out-of-district schools are charged only $1700 per student
to use our BISD services. We are paying to educate their students. Do we have that much extra money??
5. NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION That was the cry of our forefathers. We send millions to the BISD, yet
we have no voice in how it is spent. The BISD board is hand picked, not elected by the people. NO more increases
until this is fixed. It is time to say NO.
4. MONEY DOES NOT EQUAL ACHIEVEMENT With all this money we are not at the top with the test scores. There
seems to be no correlation between funds and achievement. Bronson, Coldwater and Quincy all rank below the
50% on the ACT. This means over 50% of the students in Michigan achieved a higher test score. More money does
not make smarter students. (2007-10
tests average @ Mackinac.org)
3. SALARIES The average teacher salary in our area is $63,000 plus a generous benefit package worth an average
$35,000. Take $95,000 of compensation, divide it by 188 work days and 7 hours per day, and you will find the
average teacher in our area makes $72 per hour. Also, this year—for the first time—BISD teachers they are
having to contribute to their health insurance. . . .$55 a month for a family, while the private sector pays an average
of $240. It is time to say NO. (Mackinac Center & Kaiser Family Foundation)
3. SALARIES The median income for a HOUSEHOLD in Branch County is $38,760. While the BISD Superintendent had
a total compensation package of $182,313.23 for the 2010-11 school year. Director of Vocational Ed--$150,062.71,
Director of Special Ed--$163,481.81, Special Ed Coordinator--$128,469.66, Special Ed Supervisor--$153,803.57.
Over $778,000 for five positions. This is not a Cadillac Community. We can not afford to be taxed more to fund the
retirements of the already overpaid. Just say NO. (Branch County Economic Growth Alliance
and BISD websites)
2. $35 MAKES A DIFFERENCE Look at your winter tax bill. The owner of a home with the taxable value of
$50,000 is already paying $410.31 every year straight to the BISD. That is $4,103.10 every 10 years. Another $35
WILL make a difference. It IS time to say NO.
1.
OUR MILLAGE IS HIGHER THAN EVERY
OTHER ISD IN MICHIGAN
The BISD has already passed six other “little” millages
that add up to a mega
millage bill of
8.2061. These millages are
PERMANENT. This is
MORE MILLAGE THAN ANY OTHER ISD IN
THE STATE.
The BISD receives more local tax
money per student than any other ISD.
Coldwater, Bronson and Quincy pay
3.73 more mills than the ISD average millage.
That is 83% more.
We pay 114% more for an ISD than the
Hillsdale area (3.8 mills).
We pay 32% more than Calhoun (6.2
mills).
Separating just the Special Education
millage we pay 1.28 mills over the state-wide average-- more
than 50 of the 57 districts. (2008 Legislative Report @ MI.gov)
More money is not needed.
It is time to say NO.
This proposal will increase the levy by the
Intermediate school district of special
Education millage by .626 mill to restore
millage lost as a result of the reduction
required by the Michigan Constitution of
1963 (“Headlee” rollback).
Shall the 4.45 mills limitation (currently
reduced to 3.8240 mills as required by the
Headlee amendment to the Michigan
Constitution of 1963) on the annual
property tax previously approved by the
electors of Branch Intermediate School
District, Michigan be increased by .626
mill ($0.626 on each $1,000 of taxable
valuation) for the education of students
with a disability for five (5) years, 2012
through 2016, inclusive; the estimate of
the revenue the intermediate school
district will collect if the millage is
approved and levied in 2012 is
approximately $695,179 from local
property taxes authorized herein?
NO! NO! NO!
