Last evening City Council took the important and urgent step of scheduling a public hearing for April 5 to consider a temporary 2% increase in the prepared foods tax (meals tax) for the benefit of the Roanoke City Public Schools. The unanimous vote to move forward and hold a public hearing enables us to get over the legal hurdle necessary to bring this matter to a final vote, which should be held following the April 5 public hearing.
None of us wants to raise taxes; in fact, I'll be the first to say that I wish I paid less taxes than I already do. But the reality is that lawmakers in Richmond are not fulfilling their Constitutional responsibility to adequately and appropriately fund our public schools and to provide a sound, quality education to children across Virginia. They have let us down, and have created massive budget deficits for localities that make the upcoming budget decisions exceptionally difficult.
I believe to my core that the long-term future of Roanoke is directly linked to the success of our schools and the quality of the students that benefit from those schools. A temporary, 2% increase in the meals tax would provide more than $4 million to our schools, helping to keep class sizes reasonable with the potential to help save 4 year-old pre-kindergarten and other programs that most benefit urban youth.
I'd love to believe that we have no need to raise revenue, or that something less than 2% on the meals tax would suffice. But the whole $4 million+ that a temporary 2% increase would create is needed. This is the reality that City Council faces. And last night was a bold move by each member of Council.
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3 months ago
5 comments:
"Lawmakers in Richmond are not fulfilling their Constitutional responsibility to adequately and appropriately fund our public schools and to provide a sound, quality education to children across Virginia."
Court, that is why I got out of teaching in 2006. Teaching was enjoyable and many of us in the profession are up to the challenge. It's hard to teach when photocopies are limited to 250 a month in the high school and there is no technology available to project images on the wall. My room didn't even have a computer at the old Fleming.
Court,
Can you tell me how what percent of the Roanoke budget goes to education?
MDL,
Approximately 25-26% of the city budget goes to schools. The number is a bit hard to pin down precisely right now because revenues have dropped significantly while we're trying to hold the schools whole. But it's in that range.
Court,
Random comment but you should look at changing the color of your 'date posted' at the top of your entries. It is hard to read for folks with older sets of eyes.
As always, you are keeping folks informed and doing what elected officials are supposed to do and that is looking out for the City as a whole to the best of your ability. You are appreciated.
Thanks
Great Blog. I support your efforts 100%
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