“The city has been providing almost $1 billion in subsidies annually to the schools in addition to the schools receiving 56% of all property taxes”
Easy solution to avoid Mayor’s $300 million property tax increase without eliminating the 2,476 Police and 646 Firefighter and EMS positions he threatened: Reduce city subsidies to the schools by an amount equal to the annual TIF “WINDFALL” which would save the city $300 mil.
Schools don’t lose property tax revenues to TIF’s because their property tax rate rises to meet their levy request. City Council should also not pay the $170 million school district employee contribution to the school districts municipal pension fund employees.
The city has been providing almost $1 billion in subsidies annually to the schools in addition to the schools receiving 56% of all property taxes. That money is not finding its way into the classroom as only 54% of the $30,000 per student the district spends ends up in the schools.
Note that while Firefighters and Paramedics await their pay increase, the last teacher contract raised CTU member salaries 24-50%, hired 9,000 more employees and has ONE employee for every 7.6 students.
