It happens so rarely, that the news of a decision last week by the Blackhawk Technical College Board merited headlines. The board gave money back to taxpayers.
The board in June tentatively approved a 4.9 percent tax levy increase for its 2009-10 budget. But last Wednesday, the board decided it could do with less. It will levy $20.75 million, an increase of just 0.6 percent from last year.
Increasing enrollment the past two years gave the college district "additional revenue that the College Board now is returning to the property owners," BTC President Eric Larson said. Larson said the board and administration heard loud and clear from taxpayers that the area is suffering through hard times.
It's too bad there aren't more public bodies that show with their deeds that they realize what their constituents are going through financially.
Locally, the Green County Board last week received a proposed budget that would increase the tax levy - the total amount of property taxes collected - by 11.26 percent next year. Granted, a significant bulk of that increase is in additional funds for Pleasant View Nursing Home approved by voters earlier this month. But it's an 11.26 percent tax increase all the same.
Meanwhile, the Monroe school board last week adopted a $30.3 million budget that increases spending by 7.6 percent and raises the tax levy by 3.52 percent.
To be fair, the Monroe school district has proven to be among the shrewdest local taxing bodies financially the past couple of years. Superintendent Larry Brown last Monday said, "the school board, and the school district as a whole, has really put forth a great deal of effort to be fiscally responsible."
But the fact that a 7.6 percent increase in spending is viewed as "fiscally responsible" is further evidence the public sector lives in a different world than the private sector. How many of us in our homes, or in our small businesses, are going to spend 7.6 percent more next year? Or ask for 11.26 percent more from our customers?
The Green County Board and Monroe school board are lucky enough to be examples for our point. But we could choose most any other board, locally, across the state or nationally. They all spend more, and ask for more money from their constituents, because they can, and because we allow them to.
Most property owners, and probably a lot of business owners, too, will be spending less next year, not more. It would be nice to see governmental bodies begin doing the same.
Once they do, then we'll applaud them for "fiscal responsibility."
The board in June tentatively approved a 4.9 percent tax levy increase for its 2009-10 budget. But last Wednesday, the board decided it could do with less. It will levy $20.75 million, an increase of just 0.6 percent from last year.
Increasing enrollment the past two years gave the college district "additional revenue that the College Board now is returning to the property owners," BTC President Eric Larson said. Larson said the board and administration heard loud and clear from taxpayers that the area is suffering through hard times.
It's too bad there aren't more public bodies that show with their deeds that they realize what their constituents are going through financially.
Locally, the Green County Board last week received a proposed budget that would increase the tax levy - the total amount of property taxes collected - by 11.26 percent next year. Granted, a significant bulk of that increase is in additional funds for Pleasant View Nursing Home approved by voters earlier this month. But it's an 11.26 percent tax increase all the same.
Meanwhile, the Monroe school board last week adopted a $30.3 million budget that increases spending by 7.6 percent and raises the tax levy by 3.52 percent.
To be fair, the Monroe school district has proven to be among the shrewdest local taxing bodies financially the past couple of years. Superintendent Larry Brown last Monday said, "the school board, and the school district as a whole, has really put forth a great deal of effort to be fiscally responsible."
But the fact that a 7.6 percent increase in spending is viewed as "fiscally responsible" is further evidence the public sector lives in a different world than the private sector. How many of us in our homes, or in our small businesses, are going to spend 7.6 percent more next year? Or ask for 11.26 percent more from our customers?
The Green County Board and Monroe school board are lucky enough to be examples for our point. But we could choose most any other board, locally, across the state or nationally. They all spend more, and ask for more money from their constituents, because they can, and because we allow them to.
Most property owners, and probably a lot of business owners, too, will be spending less next year, not more. It would be nice to see governmental bodies begin doing the same.
Once they do, then we'll applaud them for "fiscal responsibility."
