Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland: Ways and Means Committee

Showing posts with label Ways and Means Committee. Show all posts

Saturday, April 2, 2011

In Annapolis Now: BOE wants Authority to Raise Your Taxes

Now making its way through the waning days of the Annapolis Legislature is House Bill 1352, ‘Local School Boards – Authority to Impose a Property Tax.’ The Bill is being co-sponsored by a number of Montgomery County officials that you elected: Delegate Sheila Hixson (D-District 20, Montgomery County), also Chair of Ways and Means; Talmadge Branch (D-District 45, Baltimore City), Jolene Ivey (D-District 47, Prince Georges County), Del. Anne Kaiser (D-District 14, Montgomery County), Del. Eric Luedtke (D-District 14, Montgomery County) and Jay Walker (D-District 26, Prince George's County).

Here is the Bill, below.
House Bill 1352 2011 Local School Boards - Authority to Impose a Property Tax

And here is the ‘Fiscal and Policy Note’ on the bill.
House Bill 1352 Fiscal and Policy Note Annapolis Legislation 2011

This bill will allow the Board of Education to raise property taxes above and beyond the caps that citizens in Montgomery County have placed on these taxes.

To contact your representatives about this bill:
Sheila Hixson: sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us or 301-858-3469
Anne Kaiser: anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us or 301-890-4422
Talmadge Branch: talmadge.branch@house.state.md.us or (301) 858-3398
Jolene Ivey: jolene.ivey@house.state.md.us or 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3478 (toll free)
Eric Luedtke: eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us or 301-858-3110
Jay Walker: jay.walker@house.state.md.us or 301-858-3581

According to the League of Women Voters,

An interesting unexpected ‘message’ education bill has been filed in the waning weeks of the 2011 session. HB 1352 - Local School Boards - Authority to Impose a Property Tax, which has been filed by Delegate Hixson and five other members of the Ways and Means Committee, would authorize local school boards to levy a property tax to provide funding for school operations and expenses. The tax would be imposed as is the county property tax and would require the county government to reduce its property tax rate to lower the revenue from the property tax by the amount budgeted for the school board the previous fiscal year. The school board could also issue bonds for capital expenditures. (Hrg in W&M on 3/30)

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Principles

Formed in 2002, the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland seeks to achieve the goals of coherent, content-rich curriculum standards; high expectations combined with timely remediation and acceleration; a wider range of educational options for parents and children; greater transparency and accountability; and meaningful community input.

E-mail: parentscoalitionmc AT outlook.com

What The Washington Post said about the Parents' Coalition

The coalition might be the best-known parent advocacy group in the region. Its members represent several constituencies, including parents of special education and gifted education students and fiscal watchdogs. The group's defining victory came this school year when the school system scaled back the fees charged to families for course materials.

Coalition leaders have drawn attention to the misuse of funds collected from students for activities, the broadcast of a commercial radio service on school buses and, with their "Weast Watch" blog, the travel habits of Weast and his lieutenants.

The Washington Post, June 4, 2009

Jerry Weast on the Parents' Coalition

"Along the way, you’ve had a challenging relationship with the Parents’ Coalition, the network of citizen activists who use the political process and other means to hold MCPS accountable.

The thing people accuse me of is listening, but not hearing. I hear, but I do not always agree. I am sorry that the world is faster than it was 10 years ago. I did not do that. [But] if we do not keep up, then our kids will be behind. We have to stop whining and get real."

Bethesda Magazine, March-April 2011