Community guides students’ referendum votes
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 04/21/2010
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Don’t let your landlords scare you into “voting no” on the West Lafayette property tax referendum.
Many students of Purdue – especially if they were here in ’08 to vote in the presidential election – are registered to vote in West Lafayette. Thus, some landlords around town have put up signs in the past few weeks urging us to “Vote No!” on the property-tax-raising referendum.
They don’t seem to be giving you much more information about the referendum, do they? That’s happening for a reason.
What is the referendum?
According to the West Lafayette Community School Corporation (WLCSC – remember that!) Cost and Revenue Study, presented to the community by Larry DeBoer and Dr. David Hummels of Purdue, “Unless (the) state changes course, local revenue is a necessity for WLCLC to keep its doors open.”
In laypersons’ terms, this means that due to state cuts in education, funds from the community (i.e., higher property taxes) must be garnered by West Lafayette schools in order to maintain educational standards. It has been speculated that if the schools lose more funding, class sizes will increase, teacher numbers will decrease, and art and music programs will be cut first. All of this will damage students’ ability to learn.
The study’s conclusion states: “Local revenue needs could be met with a small property tax increase – about $1 a day for the median household. Taxpayers would still pay substantially less after a referendum than they paid in 2007.”
As registered voters of West Lafayette, many students can vote “yes” or “no” on this tax increase. This is where your landlords come in.
Arguments against the referendum
Opponents of the referendum, namely student-district landlords in West Lafayette, are against it because they will have to turn to other areas of their business to make up for that cost of paying higher taxes.
Basham Rentals, in particular, has been vocal about how the referendum will raise students’ rent, using generalities and rhetoric to frighten their tenants. Monday afternoon, many tenants of Basham found letters taped to their doors that began, in bold, with, “West Lafayette Residents Want Landlords to Raise Your Rent.” The letter explains that those who support the referendum have “offered the cavalier recommendation that business owners ‘just pass (the burden) on to (their) customers or tenants.’”
One thing Basham won’t tell you, though, is that many of us who can vote on the referendum won’t be affected by higher rent: Most students have already signed their leases for the 2010-2011 season, and that set price is legally binding. Landlords simply cannot raise your rent once a lease has been signed.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t be concerned for future students’ rents rising. But, another thing your landlords won’t tell you is that referendum supporters are probably urging business owners to spread out the tax-increase cost to all of their facets of business. Landlords will, without a doubt, cut costs in many areas in addition to raising rent.
And, of course, your landlords won’t tell you what this referendum would accomplish for this community’s schools.
Why you should “vote yes”
Meanwhile, there are those who see what good this referendum would do. The last time there was a delay in WLCSC receiving tax money, it was in 2008, and it was detrimental to the city. According to WLCSC superintendent Rocky D. Killion in his superintendent’s message of February/March 2009, “WLCSC had to borrow over $12 million to cover operational costs. Taxpayers paid over $340,000 in interest because the school district did not receive its tax money on time.”
That sounds a fair bit worse than a tax increase.
The referendum would not only do good things for schools, but it’s already relieved some of the stress on WLCSC teachers. Sean Barry, a graduate student in the College of Education, is married to a WLCSC Spanish teacher. Barry said that, although his wife’s position keeps her clear of the cuts due to its indispensability, “Her colleagues have been in fear of losing their jobs, especially last year before the community got involved with the referendum.”
Barry also addressed which business owners are opposed to the referendum. “There are the small shops that aren’t opposed,” he said. “It seems the only ones opposed are the ones who make a lot of money off this area without giving anything back to it. ... The ones who own lots and lots of houses and make money off of sub-standard housing.”
So, despite buzzwords like “raise your rent,” students should be aware of the true referendum situation in West Lafayette. This tax increase will help solve West Lafayette’s portion of statewide education cuts, and, in reality, much of the city’s business owners are in support of it.
I’m not asking you to vote the way I would. I’m just asking students to think deeply about what their landlords have invested in this referendum failing. I’m also asking students to recall their experiences in public K-12 schooling: Would you be at Purdue today if higher taxes didn’t fund your education?
Lydia Williams is a senior in the College of Liberal Arts and may be reached at opinions@purdueexponent.org.