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DEAR EDITOR:
The story keeps changing. First, the Niles Board of Education approved substituting two 4.9-mill levies with one continuous 9.8-mill levy. Then in a correction on July 26 voters were asked to approve an 11.7-mill levy, where no one probably saw this.
I have a problem with the word continuous, "knowing it will definitely collect."
They sound like the tax man cometh and "would not require future voter approval." That sounds like taking away our voting rights. That is socialism at its finest.
I do not like it when people hold control over me and my right to vote on any issue where they want my money to do as they wish.
I never see the accountability of what the money is spent on. I do not trust this "new kind of levy."
They say voter fatigue might result in renewals failing.
They never pay attention. We told them five times not to build new schools, that the city would not be able to sustain them. Now they look to burden a retirement community to pay for what we did not want in the first place.
The board said they would "take care of it for us" so we "wouldn't be bothered with the levy anymore." That's typical political rhetoric.
I have the Homestead Exemption and my tax for schools went up $100 this year. If you pay only $75 for a single person and only $125 for a family for your health care, that must be nice.
We do not have big industries in Niles and with GM losing 1,500 jobs and no more General Electric. Or have you forgotten?
We cannot afford an 11.7 mill levy; there aren't that many homes in Niles worth $100,000 and again, less than 20,000 people live here with half of them renting.
They say this type of continuous levy works in Avon Lakes, a community we call the "high rent district," where many homes are worth $1 million or more. They do not rent these homes. These people work in Cleveland, they do not come to Niles to work.
There are no six-figure jobs here in Niles. The lottery lied to us when they said, "Vote for it and you will not have to worry about school levies again."
I do not believe the words, "only new properties would see an increase." We know how the game of politics is played.
I suggest you collect on delinquent taxes that are owed because the way you're thinking is ask retired homeowners to pay for these schools.
RUTH LILLEY
Niles