Look for changes in school taxes

In these tough economic times that are further exacerbated by soaring fuel prices, one of the hardest hit segments of the population is school districts. Between skyrocketing gas prices and increasing food bills, the districts are forced to find funding from wherever they can.     Once again, they are turning to the homeowners in their respective districts to help bear the brunt of the ever-increasing cost to educate children in this community. PUHSD     Phoenix Union High School District held its Truth in Taxation hearing on June 24 at the district office, 4502 N. Central Ave. The purpose of the hearing was to notify its property taxpayers of the district’s intention to raise its primary property taxes to pay for increased expenditures.     The district operates 11 comprehensive high schools, including North, Central and Camelback, as well as three alternative programs (Metro Tech among them) and three small schools.     The tax increase for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will cause the district’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $84.31 to $102.29, which will bring in an additional $11,453,534 for the district. GUHSD     Glendale Union High School District held its Truth in Taxation hearing on July 2 at the district administrative center, 7650 N. 43rd Ave. The purpose of the hearing was to notify its property taxpayers of the district’s intention to raise its primary property taxes to pay for increased expenditures. The district operates nine high schools, including Sunnyslope and Washington.     The tax increase for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will cause the district’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $47.93 to $49.41, which will bring in an additional $329,053 for the district. Madison     Residents living within the Madison School District should experience a decrease in their property tax rates this upcoming year thanks to a number of factors including a decrease in the qualifying tax rate, a reduction of the adjacent ways levy, and an increase in the assessed valuation of district property.     Madison recently held a Public Hearing June 3 to discuss the 2008-09 budget and the Truth in Taxation Notice. That notice, with the wording dictated by law, can be difficult to understand. “The notice is very misleading because it portrays any property tax levy as an increase in taxes,” said Assistant Superintendent of Budget Services Jeff Gadd. “The reality is property taxes are a continuation of a previously levied tax.” In fact, any levy for adjacent ways or excess utilities, triggers the notice.     The district estimates this year’s tax rates to decrease by approximately 10 percent. Last year, the combined primary and secondary tax rates was $2.98 per $100 of assessed valuation. The expected combined rate for this next year is $2.69 for a savings of $.29/$100.     To put this in perspective, a $250,000 home, retaining the same assessed value as last year, would experience an estimated decrease of $73 on its 2009 tax bill. This is based on the assumption that the property’s assessed valuation will remain the same for 2009.     Madison can only set its tax rate at a level that the state allows. “In a complicated formula, the state sets the per pupil amount of funding for each student in the state. To come up with that figure, a mixture of local and state taxes are raised; as local property values rise, state funding goes down,” Gadd said.     This is the second consecutive year Madison residents are projected to experience a tax rate decrease. City centers start charging use fee     The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department has kicked off a new Recreation Membership Program. Visitors must pay a $5 annual membership fee to use any Phoenix community and recreation centers. The fee will help offset budget reductions to maintain the centers’ operating hours.     Visitors can sign up with any recreation staff member to receive the membership card. Center users who already have a recreation card just need to pay the membership fee. The fee must be paid in addition to regular class, program and facility charges.     Participants who need to have a card include regular users of the center and its facilities including weight/exercise rooms, gymnasiums and classrooms; parents or guardians who are routinely in the center and responsible for minor children engaged in center activity; users with a regular or recurring classroom or facility rental; and senior congregate food program participants who also use recreation facilities     Note that seniors at a center who participate only in congregate food programs operated by the Human Services Department are not required to purchase a card.     Spectators visiting the center on a limited basis for the sole purpose of observing an activity also will not be required to purchase a membership. This includes extended family visiting a center to observe someone participating in a class or sports program and participants in single-day special events.     Groups, organizations, and individuals interested in sponsoring memberships should call their local community or recreation center and discuss sponsorship opportunities with the facility manager. A full list of Parks and Recreation Department recreation and community centers is available online at phoenix.gov/parks.

 

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