School boards oppose spending-cap initiative

by PERRY PEARSON - Ravalli Republic - May 3, 2006

The Montana School Boards Association on Tuesday joined other groups in opposition of a constitutional initiative to cap state spending.

The effort to pass Constitutional Initiative 97 in a statewide vote is being led by a group called, SOS, or Stop Over Spending. The group needs 45,000 signatures necessary to get CI-97 placed on the November ballot.

The initiative says state government spending can grow no faster than the combined rate of growth in state population and inflation.

The initiative is part of a national movement modeled after Colorado's "Taxpayer Bill of Rights."

A press release from the Montana School Boards Association says that Montana is one of several states targeted for passage of SOS/TABOR initiatives by out-of-state groups such as the Illinois-based "Americans for Limited Government."

The association's decision to join in opposition of the initiative, with the Not in Montana Coalition, is based on the predicted impact on property taxes in Montana, according to Executive Director Lance Melton.

"The state has developed an unfortunate habit over the last 15 years of passing its responsibility for funding schools from the state general fund to district property taxes," he said. "As a result, district property taxes have increased by over $180 million, an increase of over 340 percent."

Melton said the state has started to reverse the trend in the last two years. He said if SOS passes, limiting state spending, the days of 20 percent annual increases in district property taxes will return.

The Montana School Boards Association members include school districts of all sizes and from all areas of the state.

Supporters of SOS say the plan will not cut anything, but will instead allow for a reasonable rate of growth. It is a flexible plan, they say, that only affects about one-third of the state budget.

More information can be found on the Web at www.mtsba.org, www.sosmontana.com.