Tag: Westonka bond referendum

Ouch! Minnetrista passes preliminary 15.1% increase to net levy

Minnetrista residents will be feeling the pinch when they get their property tax assessments for 2024 if the 15.1% preliminary increase to the city’s net levy is adopted before year-end. Public comment is scheduled for Monday, December 4, 2023 at 7pm at city hall. The city council has the authority to lower the increase before making it final in December.

Some of the drivers of the increase include a 19.5% increase to the public works and law enforcement labor contracts for the years 2024 through 2026. Public works increases were approved at 12.25% for 2024; 3.5% for 2025; and 3.75% for 2026. For law enforcement the increase was approved for 10% for officers in 2024 (10.5% for sergeants/lieutenants), 5% increase for 2025, and 4% increase for 2026.

Another factor driving the hike is a 62.22% increase in debt, a 40% increase in snow & ice removal and, of course, inflation bringing the city’s gross levy for 2024 to $6,693,104.

If Minnetrista property owners live in the Westonka school district there is another increase to their property tax coming if the school’s $93.4M ($170M including 5% interest for 25 years) bond referendum passes on November 7.

I asked Bing AI to look up the history of the city’s preliminary tax levy increases for the last seven years, between 2017 through 2023:

According to the official website of the City of Minnetrista, MN, the preliminary tax levy for the year 2017 was $4,740,0001. The preliminary tax levy for the year 2018 was $5,000,0001. The preliminary tax levy for the year 2019 was $5,200,0001. The preliminary tax levy for the year 2020 was $5,400,0001. The preliminary tax levy for the year 2021 was $5,500,0001. The preliminary tax levy for the year 2022 was $5,354,2291. Finally, for the year 2023, the approved tax levy is $5,854,229, which is a 9.18% net levy increase from 2022 1.

To calculate the gross tax levy percentage increase from 2017 to 2023, we can use the following formula:

Gross Tax Levy Percentage Increase = ((Final Levy - Initial Levy) / Initial Levy) * 100

Using this formula and the data from above, we can calculate that the gross tax levy percentage increase for 2017 to 2023, a seven year period, is approximately 23.49%.

Bing AI, http://www.cityofminnetrista.com

Residents are invited to address their concerns to the city council and staff on December 4, 2023 at 7pm at city hall.

Westonka Bond Con

Why is it, when the MAJORITY of the proposed Westonka Schools’ bond is allocated for a high school remodel, the district’s description has the high school remodel listed as the last of three priorities? It lists safety/security first, misleading voters to think safety is the primary purpose of the bond. The MAJORITY of the bond is for a high school remodel, not safety and not maintenance.

Voters are being intentionally misled to believe the bond is all about safety and security. Who wouldn’t want to keep kids safe, right? See below the “Yes Westonka” (independent political committee promoting the bond) graphic from Facebook yesterday:

Did I mention this is a total of over $170 MILLION DOLLARS ($93.4M plus 5% interest for 25 years) district taxpayers will be paying back? ‘Yes Westonka’ doesn’t tell you that though. The tax calculator the district provides only calculates the first year’s property tax increase on a property, neglecting to mention it will go up, more than doubling by year nine!

Voters think they will be paying back $93.4M but in reality will be paying back over $170M.

Even the approved language that will be on the ballot buries, at the very end, what the majority of the bond is allocated for:

“Shall the school board of Independent School District No. 277 (Westonka
Public Schools) be authorized to issue its general obligation school building
bonds in an amount not to exceed $93,400,000 to provide funds for the
acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the
construction of secure entrances and other safety and security
improvements at all school sites and facilities; districtwide deferred
maintenance projects, including replacement of boilers, piping and
electrical systems; the redesign, renovation and equipping of academic and
activity spaces at the Mound Westonka High School site and facility; and
the reconstruction and repair of athletic fields, tennis courts and track?“

If the school district wants to ask property owners to hand over millions of dollars, there is an obligation to tell voters the primary purpose of the bond and what the total increase in property taxes would be over its 25 years. That transparency, however, would likely jeopardize the election.

These underhanded strategies to intentionally mislead voters would never be tolerated if perpetrated by an individual or private sector corporation but for the Westonka school district it’s business as usual.

The district knows they have to hide the purpose and true cost of this bond referendum from the voters if they want it to pass. VOTE NO! STOP THE CON.

Early voting begins Friday, September 22 in Suite A of the Educational Service Center, 5901 Sunnyfield Rd. E., Minnetrista, MN. Go to the pollfinder to find out where to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7.

Westonka Schools to decide on $91.5M November bond referendum

The Westonka School Board is meeting Monday night, June 5, 2023 at 6pm in the Performing Arts Center to discuss a facilities $91.5M bond referendum for the November 2023 ballot. The bond would ultimately cost school district taxpayers $170M according to the school’s financial analysis, more than doubling the district’s current debt load.

According to the MN Department of Education Score Card, Westonka schools have shown a continuous decline, since 2019, in the number of students meeting standards in math. Westonka’s students are also performing worse today than they were in 2018 in all three core areas of math, reading, and science.

This is not a facilities problem. However, the school district, nonetheless, is asking taxpayers to open their wallets, once again, to hand them an additional $91.5M to upgrade facilities. Their last successful facilities bond referendum was for $22M in 2016.  

In order to figure out how much taxpayers were willing to fork over for different kinds of “facility improvements” the school district conducted two, separate, community surveys within the past year. The latest was completed in May of 2023. Both surveys were very similar, focusing on voter perceptions of school performance, capacity, funding, etc. Although the questions were similar on both, the number of people surveyed and the amount of the proposed referendums were significantly different.

The first survey, completed in September 2022 asked 400 participants about their views on a proposed $65M bond referendum. The second, subsequent survey, asked 625 participants about a $93M bond referendum. The earlier September survey was discovered by this author only after a data practices request showed the school district had paid Morris Leatherman $16,000 for the first survey and then paid them an additional $9,000 for the second one.

Readers might wonder why the school district only publicized the results of the latter, second survey. The following could be why:

First Survey (400 participants/$65M referendum):

  • “lack of funding” was indicated by only 16% as a serious issue.
  • “facility needs” was indicated by only 3% as a serious issue.
  • 40% indicated they were “unsure” or “nothing” was a serious issue with the school district.
  • Job performance rating of teachers far exceeded ratings for school board members and administrator (question was dropped from 2nd survey)
  • 44% said property taxes were high
  • 59% said school is adequately funded
  • 84% said school facilities were Excellent or Good
  • 38% opposed “HS Stadium” referendum spending
  • Only 21% didn’t agree with the statement “Westonka School District currently provides for sufficient learning spaces”
  • Only 38% didn’t agree with the statement “Westonka has enough school space to accommodate enrollment”
  • Survey showed a large majority, 57%, were labeled “persuadables,” (i.e., not totally supportive) of a $65M referendum.

Some additional reasons could be:  

  • Survey #2 showed a smaller percentage of “persuadables” at 47% regarding a $93M referendum (total opposition went up from 22% to 26% with increased amount).
  • Both surveys showed that 40% of residents are unwilling to support any property tax increase over $8/mo, and the proposed $91.5M referendum is estimated to cost a $500K homeowner $244 per year for 25 years ($6,100 total). That’s on top of the $132 per year ($2,000 total) that homeowner is already paying for the last $22M facilities referendum in 2016.
  • The referendum amount of $65M on the first survey showed a smaller percentage thinking the proposal was a “bad idea” (21%) vs 29% thinking the $93M referendum was a “bad idea” on survey #2.
  • When asked if the referendum amount was a “Fair Price,” answers went from 35% saying “No” to the $65M referendum, to $40% saying “No” to the $93M referendum.

For those who would like to ask questions of the Westonka school board or examine the surveys and presentations regarding the proposed referendum, you can find all the information on the school’s website.