School funds OK'd again
Alpine District's policy glitch prompts revote; new plan cut $9 million
The result: an emergency meeting Monday night and a vote for a new budget that's $9 million smaller than the budget presented to the public June 20, cutting mostly from the district's planned capital expenditures.
Both budgets called for a tax-rate reduction, but the budget passed Monday night will further reduce the rate.
District officials hope it will boost chances of the public's approving a proposed bond issuance and increase in the voted leeway.
The June 20 proposed budget, which is now invalid, was for $354 million.
Five of the seven members of the Alpine District Board of Education attended the June 20 meeting, enough people for a quorum, which is required by law to hold the meeting. Three board members voted to approve the $354 million budget.
At the time, school district officials believed they had attained a majority vote with the three people in favor.
But on Monday morning, Alpine Superintendent Vern Henshaw and board president JoDee Sundberg discovered there were too few votes to constitute a majority.
They were reviewing district policies to prepare for a retreat when they stumbled upon Policy No. 9064, approved in 1984 and reviewed in 2003, which states that even if a quorum is present, no measure is approved unless there is a majority vote of the entire board. Alpine's school board has seven members.
"Five is a quorum and four is the votes to carry the will of the board," said district spokeswoman Jerrilyn Mortensen, who added that the board historically had five members until a few years ago, which probably contributed to the mistake.
"It's one of those glitches in memory," she said.
But at the emergency meeting late Monday, all members were present either in person or by telephone, and the budget adopted was $345 million.
The $9 million difference between the budgets could be a savings to property tax owners, but the district warns the public that the Utah County Assessor's Office is revaluing property in some areas and tax bills could actually be higher.
Alpine District's certified tax rate, the totality of various school district taxes, in 2005-06 was .008082.
The certified tax rate in the $345 million budget is .006883.
The savings is $92.32 on a $150,000 house, said Rob Smith, the district's business administrator.
The June 20 budget for $354 million also called for tax rate decrease, but it was smaller and would have required a truth-in-taxation hearing, required in some cases when government entities expand budgets, the superintendent said.
Opponents to the $354 million budget said it would jeopardize a successful bond election. However, proponents of the $354 million budget pointed to a recent survey that indicated residents within the district's boundaries felt comfortable spending more money on education.
The district plans to ask the public in November to approve a $230 million bond issuance and $4 million leeway increase. The district has promised the public that the bonds and leeway will not increase the tax rate above the 2005-2006 certified tax rate.
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com
Comments
- Luxury home market stalls 12:02 p.m.
- Kirk Douglas classic on DVD 11:38 a.m.
- Zion fire moving southeast 11:36 a.m.
- More school-money than expected 11:24 a.m.
- Virginia 'Freedman's' project done 11:12 a.m.
- Teen relive Mormon trek 11:12 a.m.
- Oldest American to scale Mount Everest 11:07 a.m.
- Knicks sign first-round pick 10:59 a.m.
- Armstrong third, Leipheimer fourthe 10:58 a.m.
- 6.0 quake in China 10:43 a.m.
- Jazz brass debate Millsap match
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- 2 men cited on LDS plaza
- Jazz finances not quite so bleak
- HBO defends U. logo use in 'Love'
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Cash for Clunkers to get rolling soon
- Utahns among Texans' investors
- Man spots his stolen car
- Jazz rookies quiet Thunder youngsters
- LDS seminary principal arrested
252 - Jazz brass debate Millsap match
162 - Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
140 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
124 - 2 men cited on LDS plaza
119 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
98 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
76 - Letters: Single-payer system best
75
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
where do you meet?
anyone who wants this girl to share "any" of the blame are wrongheaded and...
Yep--just when you thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous, a couple of...
Thanks Bill for helping to stop this genocide and getting other nations...
So easy for those with no standards to cry and whine about those with them....
I seem to recall a black woman who once was asked politely to give up her...
What the Jazz need to do is trade all the players and fold. These guys are...
Its time to let Paul go and be over paid for a back up roll. Thats all he...
What if something like this happened to YOUR child?
It seems to be that people are forgetting who coached one of the best power...


You can be the first to comment on this story.