Letter sent to Loveland School Board and Loveland Beacon by Loveland resident July 1, 2020

LETTER TO THE LCSD BOARD OF EDUCATION: Walter Golladay, Loveland, Oh

LOVELAND, OH (July 01, 2020) – 

Walter Golladay, Resident, Loveland, OH (Provided) 

    My name is Walter Golladay. My wife Peggy and I have lived at (the same address in Loveland, Ohio) for 30 years. Note: actual street address removed for protection of privacy. We have not had a child in the LCSD during this same period.
    We are retired, and have been since 1998.
Watching one of your recent school board meetings, I heard Treasurer Hawley mention that two options exist when considering future school property tax levies.
    In calendar year 2020, a 4.1 mill levy, to last for 3 years, could be placed on the November 2020 ballot.  Or, in calendar year 2021, a 6.3 mill levy, to also last for 3 years, could be placed on one or both of the 2021 ballots.
    Before my wife and I vote for any upcoming school levy, we must see positive steps to reduce expenditures in the Loveland school system. Its easy to always ask for more property tax money from the residents, its extremely difficult to reduce expenses. 

    To date, we have seen no action to reduce school expenses. In the last year, I believe the LCSD reduced future expenses by about $2.5 million. However, this was a reduction in future expenditures, not a real reduction in existing expenditures.

     In the last 11 years, social security, federal and military retirees have received a miserly 15.2 % cost of living increase. We are presently on track to receive absolutely NO increase in the January 2021 cost of living retirement adjustment of our retirement incomes. Due to reduced cost of livings, on a lower retirement income base, we retirees have been forced to reduce our expenditures.
     In the past, I personally briefed the LCSD regarding two types of School District Income Taxes, one Bad, one Good. The Bad tax is a traditional base tax, the Good is a earned income base tax. On our retired income, to the state of Ohio, retirees today pay the traditional base income tax; to the city of Loveland, retirees today pay the earned income base tax, i.e. $0.00 tax dollars.
     Today, Ohio school systems can adopt one of two income taxes, but not both. They can be presented to the voters and adopted in conjunction with a traditional school property tax mill levy. When LCSD places the next tax levy on the ballot, I am recommending, again, that LCSD propose a earned income tax levy, in conjunction with a lower property tax mill levy.  A tax levy lower than the 2 proposed tax mill levies mentioned above.
     But first, LCSD must take time to consider, and lower, actual expenses in the school system.  The community deserves a well thought out — not rushed — lower property tax levy proposal. To not do so in the coming months, LCSD will invite a resounding NO vote from the Loveland voting community this November, and most likely, in the 2 ballot periods of 2021.
  –  Walter & Peggy Golladay

NOTE: Walter Golladay lives with his wife Peggy in Loveland, Ohio. He served as LCpl, UMCC 1961-67 and is an Honor Guard Member with Loveland American Legion Post 256. He submitted this letter to the LCSD Board of Education, Loveland Beacon, and other possible media outlets. Receipt of the letter by the Loveland School Board has been acknowledged by Board President, Dr. Kathryn Lorenz. It is published here on Loveland Beacon with permission of Walter Golladay.