vision2020@moscow.com: Re: local board power

Re: local board power

Steve Cooke (scooke@marvin.csrv.uidaho.edu)
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 10:34:29 PST8PDT

Carl,
I think your perception is correct. The 1% initiatiive reduces
property tax at the cost of local control. However, this is a trade
off taxpayers may be willing to make. The state already funds about
75% of public schools. So an argument could be made that local
control by school board has already passed a critical threshold.
Robert Kleine, a public finance consultant from MI, argues that 70%
is the upper limit of state finance of public schools after which the
state limits the range of decision making at the local level. I
believe we see signs of this in Idaho.
Steve Cooke
> If the initiative increases the funding responsibility of the state, how
> are they able to ensure that local governments and school boards
> maintain their current levels of decision making abilities and powers
> even though is will be required by law if the initiative passes?
>
> Also if this initiative passes, the State Legislature will be given the
> responsibility to enact these changes. Even if the initiative is a good
> one, which I don't think that it is, the Legislature and Her politicians
> will be in charge of the state policy changes and some of the local
> policy changes that will be required. That's a scary thought also.
> Carl Barrus
> BSU physics student
>
Associate Professor
Dept. of Ag. Economics & Rural Soc.
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID 83843
http://www.uidaho.edu/~scooke/onepercent
208-885-7170 (phone)
208-885-5759 (fax)


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