State-Journal.com - Referendum committee called deceitful

Referendum committee called deceitful

By Paul Glasser

September 30, 2008

Doug Crowe, a county school board member and key proponent of the proposed tax increase, say's he's concerned about the tactics used by petitioners seeking a vote on the issue.

They're being "duplicitous" Crowe said of the Tax Referendum Committee seeking signatures on a petition for a special election on the proposed 5-cent property tax increase.

"I'm not sure the group has been totally forthcoming about their reasons," said Crowe, a board member of the Franklin Public Schools.

Crowe said the petitioners have described the proposed tax increase as "illegal."

"There's nothing illegal about it," Crowe told The State Journal Monday. "It's not like we're trying to hide anything."

Crowe also said he's concerned because a Franklin County sheriff's deputy, Ed Davidson, identified himself as such while petitioning door-to-door.

"I think it's disingenuous," Crowe said. "It's not just an isolated incident."
Tax Referendum Committee members seeking the petition denied the charges. Russell Givens, a lead organizer in the drive, said they've been totally up-front.

"We're not against education," Givens said. "We just want to get it on the ballot so people will have the opportunity to vote on it."

Givens also said the petition has received a lot of support in the community and the committee has recorded more than the required 2,413 signatures. Ten percent of voters in the 2004 presidential election are required for a vote.
"Ninety-nine percent of people we talk to are in favor of signing," Givens said. "We've found a lot of support for the petition out there."

Davidson, who's been involved with the petition since the beginning, denied he's been identifying himself as a sheriff's deputy while seeking signatures.
"My office work is totally isolated," Davidson said.

Davidson said he's opposed to the tax increase but doesn't voice his opinion while canvassing. Davidson said those in favor of the increase have also signed the petition asking for a chance to vote.

Givens said he's gone door-to-door with Davidson and he never identified himself as a deputy.

"Ed's a complete gentleman," Givens said. "He'd never do anything like that. That's crazy."

In an effort to ensure all signatures are valid, Givens said volunteers are checking them against records from the 2004 presidential election.

To avoid any problems, Givens said the group will continue to gather signatures at the Frankfort Plant Board Club House on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The school board approved in August a property tax increase from 52.1 cents per $100 assessed value of property to 57.1 cents. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $50 per year.

The increase is subject to public recall because it is more than the 4 percent allowable annual increase.

The tax increase will raise an estimated $1,203,000 for the district, according to Franklin County Public Schools Superintendent Harrie Buecker.

A total of $340,000 will restore the district's literacy program, $100,000 for the gifted and talented program, $50,000 to pay for new textbooks, $70,000 to the Career and Technical Center, $100,000 to pay the salaries of two resource officers, $37,000 for an additional nurse and $500,000 to balance the district's contingency fund.

"We are hoping to restore services cut by a lack of state funding," Crowe said in the Monday interview.

"It does impose a greater burden on the citizens of Franklin County but we want to do what we need to do to provide our kids with the quality education they deserve. I believe the citizens of Franklin County, when given all the correct information and facts, will support it."

The committee has until Oct. 9 to turn the petition in to County Clerk Guy Zeigler, who will have 30 days to validate the signatures. If the petition is validated, the district will pay for a special election to be held no less than 35 days and no more than 45 days after, Zeigler said.

The election will most likely be held between Dec. 9 and 30, according to Zeigler.

Staff Writer Scott Unger contributed to this report.

22.	Posted by Tamed-Shrew October 1, 2008
	"What ever happened to all the lottery money that was going to go to education." catwoman, That money was applied to preschool and postsecondary preparation programs, as in financially helping academically promising kids go to college (aka KEES program). It also isn't a lot of money. It can't cure the ills of the world, state, or Franklin County. -- Mac Yocum, the issue here is not funding programs but the questioning of how this revenue will be used. The school board started the tax increase argument based upon the literacy cuts, but when asked to provide a "necessary funds" breakdown, the list included much more, such as $70,000 to the Career and Technical Center, $100,000 to pay the salaries of two resource officers, $37,000 for an additional nurse and $500,000 to balance the district's contingency fund. Only 30% of the estimated $1,200,000 generated will fund the literacy program. It's that deception, and the non-questioning of how funds are currently allocated, that had the citizens of Franklin County angry and wanting the ability to VOTE on this issue. Everyone wants a better education for their children, but when tax increases are represented falsely, people want the ability to rescind support through the voting process if for any reason just to be able to protest the decision of the Board.