NEIFPE's statement about the proposed Business Personal Property Tax

Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education was formed to help educate ourselves as well as our community about many of the recent reform measures coming from the state that we feel are damaging public education.

• Our legislature has created a system to label our schools as “failing” by creating their A-F grading system.

• They created the “voucher” or “school choice” program which has siphoned money away from public schools.

• They have demeaned educators as well as our Superintendent of Public Instruction.

• The majority of this state voted to change our state constitution to place caps on our property taxes which has put many school systems behind in capital projects and has forced them to cut transportation for students.

The measures NEIFPE so frequently speaks out against have happened at the state level. Never did
we think the attacks would come at us locally. With Jason Arp’s proposal to exempt Business Personal Property from local taxes, our schools will once again take huge hits from transportation and capital projects. Fort Wayne Community Schools will notice the biggest loss and will be forced to reduce transportation even further. The proposal will also increase property tax bills for every real estate owner in Allen County who has not reached the tax cap. That includes approximately 65% of all homeowners in the County. The majority of homeowners are inside FWCS, so it's safe to say that the impact on FWCS families will be more significant than in other districts.

Please contact your city councilman to ask him to vote against this proposal. Education is already under attack; we do not need to see further damage coming from our own backyard. You can find your city councilman by using the link below, complete with email, phone, and mailing address.

http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/city-council.html

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