Dear editor,
The Forrestville Valley Board of Education hosted a Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in the Forreston Junior Senior High School library. The purpose of the meeting was to provide information to Ogle County residents regarding the one percent sales tax question that will be on the ballot March 19.
I wanted to provide our residents with a summary of this meeting.
Outside of property taxes and state and federal funds, school districts are quite limited in how they can generate revenue. The one percent sales tax provides an additional revenue source for all schools in Ogle County.
The one percent sales tax is estimated to provide an additional $300,000 per year to the Forrestville Valley School District. These funds can be used for mental health professionals, school resource officers, or facility projects and updates.
The one percent tax would apply to everything in the municipal and county sales tax base as well as eligible online sales. There are some exceptions, and the following will not be taxed: groceries, medicine, cars, trucks, farm equipment, and services.
If something is not currently taxed it will not be included in this additional sales tax.
The tax collected from all of Ogle County sales would be distributed to area schools based on student enrollment. When we calculate our current student enrollment with the estimated tax, the estimate is an additional $300,000 per year.
If passed, our school district would start to receive additional revenue as early as this October. Our district commitment is to prioritize funds towards student mental health services, school safety, and ongoing facility needs.
The language on the March 19 ballot will read:
“Shall a retailer’s occupation tax and a service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a ‘Sales Tax’) be imposed in Ogle County at a rate of 1% to be used exclusively for school facility purposes, school resource officers, and mental health professionals?”
My goal is to provide information to residents for review prior to March 19. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Superintendent Smith. She can be reached in the district office at 815-938-2036. You may also visit the district website at www.fvdistrict221.org for a complete presentation from the Town Hall meeting, Q&A documents, and additional information.
-Mr. Chip Braker, Forrestville Valley Board of Education president
