School board loses vote without an election

The Indiana State Legislature appears to put an end to a possible referendum vote on increasing property taxes to fund Center Grove Schools. The school system had expected to hold the election in July costing tax payers an extra $50,000 to fund the election. However the bill passed last week, is expected to be signed into law by Governor Mitch Daniels, bans special elections saying the referendum must take place either in May’s primary or the November general election.  Many residents had fought the special election saying it was yet another way the school board was wasting tax payer money.  I think they were right, the board scheduled the special election to keep it off the May ballot where voters are already being asked to increase taxes to pay for more than doubling the size of the Johnson County Jail.

One resident described it “another round of feckless actions by your Center Grove School Board.” Another question I am hearing is with all the money they have spent on lawyers on this issue how did they miss the fact that a bill was in the legislature?

One final question what has the board spent so far on the referendum?  Banach, Banach and Cassidy, the out-of-state marketing and public relations firm the board hired to conduct surveys and advise them how to win the July referendum cost about $14,000 for the initial services.  I would hope the board will soon be forthcoming with a total amount they have already spent on the plan to hold a special election and how much more they will now have to spend to move the election to November.

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