It’s the end of the decade, a perfect time to take stock of how the cost of living, vis-à-vis public institutions, has changed. So Watchdog has tabulated the costs of more than 20 basic services, most provided or regulated by government.
In each case, we sought cost amounts effective Jan. 1 for four years: 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010. We then tabulated the percentage increases over 10- and 20-year spans.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ online inflation calculator, $1 in 1990 was worth $1.32 in 2000 and $1.65 in 2009; $1 in 2000 was worth $1.26 in 2009. So the rate of inflation was 65% from 1990 to 2009, and 26% from 2000 to 2009.
Few of the fees and charges we tracked stayed within those ranges. And besides the mill rates used to calculate property taxes (which are offset by increases in assessed value), only one measure showed a decline: the rate and per-customer cost of natural gas. MGE spokesman Steve Kraus attributes this to falling demand.
Bill Lueders notes that Madison School District property taxes are up 83.9% since 1989 and 21.6% since 1999.
I appreciate the article and detail provided. I hope readers will read the article carefully – that average tax bills have decreased or remained flat for MMSD in the last five years. The rate of increase in per-pupil spending has been less than the state average since the revenue caps were put in place.
Most of the historical increases in spending have been due to the disproportionate increases in health insurance costs, and the fact that most of the budget is for staffing. The state formula has not helped Madison, either, a property rich district with a flat enrollment. As most who follow the district know, the needs level for students has not remained flat, but has increased significantly. Addressing those needs effectively is really critical in terms of the health of our community in the short and long terms.
Nevertheless, it’s challenging for people, and the increase in costs, including those for schools comes in difficult times. We really need to plan as a state, for funding equity, for growth and development, and saving for more difficult times. Most of the recent increases in fees, taxes, and other expenses come from poor planning and pushing off expenses to later years. The board and district administration have struggled on this issue for as long as I can remember, and I appreciate their hard work to balance the needs of the district with the process of finding adequate funding to meet those needs.