My name is Ron Kossik. I am a parent and homeowner in the City of Manitowoc. I am a member of the Manitowoc Public School District Board of Education, but I do not speak for the board.

My remarks tonight are in response to Mayor Crawford's comments comparing the tax rate of the city to other local units of government, particularly the school district.

According to the data I received from the city treasurer, over the last 5 years the city's tax rate rose 1.5%, while the school district's tax rate actually declined 9.6%. Over the last five years, the city's tax rate increased more than 11% faster than the school tax rate.

The school board is required to present a budget without full information on student enrollment and state aids. The Mayor agitated against a 6% increase that he knows, or he should know, is a worst case projection. The realistic projected tax increase is expected to be around 4%.

The mayor also says "about one-half of your tax bill" is school district tax, but the city's own data correctly shows it to less than a third of your tax bill!

The Manitowoc Public School District is among the lowest taxing districts in the entire State of Wisconsin, but we still provide a quality education for our students. I congratulate our teachers, administrators and support staff for doing the hard work needed to teach more students, with less resources, while maintaining the quality of education expected by our community.

If you look at our school district from a worker productivity standpoint, our community is getting a tremendous bargain. If our teachers and other school district employees were paid by the measurable quantity and measurable quality of their work, our taxes would be sky high. But instead of championing our school district as delivering high value for low cost, Mayor Crawford presents a distorted, negative image of taxation in Manitowoc. How can Manitowoc project a vibrant economic image of our community?

Our city needs to attract new businesses and new jobs to sustain our local economy. Sheboygan based Acuity Corporation is doubling the size of their corporate headquarters to 400,000 square feet. The Acuity annual report boasts revenue per employee of $778,000 per year, more than double what it was 5 years ago! That economic growth and the jobs it represents will help keep school taxes down for Sheboygan taxpayers.

I will work with all community leaders, public and private, to ensure our school system delivers the education our children need to compete for the jobs of the future. I welcome Mayor Crawford as a constructive participant in this effort.

Thank you for listening to my comments.

Public Comment, City of Manitowoc Common Council, October 20, 2003.