OK Counties Face Sneaky 400% Tax Increase Dec. 11th

This is pretty outrageous:
From the Oologah Lake Leader:

Northeast Technology Center wants an annual 400% tax increase – $4.4 million a year – but has tried to keep next week’s election on the issue a secret.

Voters in Rogers and seven other counties are scheduled to take part in a special election next Tuesday, Dec. 11, to decide on the proposed increase in NTC’s building fund levy and to decide whether to make the increase permanent.

But until the Leader began an investigation Monday, the election was a well-kept secret – even from top county officials and AEP-Public Service Co. of Oklahoma, which would face a $308,000 hit in Rogers County alone from the higher tax.

PSO customers could eventually pay twice, because such taxes are a factor in setting utility rates.

The NTC board voted on Oct. 1 to call the election but issued no public notice until Nov. 28, school spokesman Gary Fox confirmed Tuesday.

The only announcement made last week was a legal notice in the Pryor Daily Times – the smaller of the two legal newspaper in Mayes county. Neither it nor its larger weekly competitor, The Paper, makes any claim to be a regional newspaper (such as the Tulsa World or The Oklahoman).

By law, NTC is required to publish a notice in a newspaper “of general circulation in Northeast Technology Center School District No. 11.”

Monday – just eight days before the election and after the deadline for some newspapers in the district – the school issued a press release to some news organizations.

That statement did not disclose the amount of money the tax increase would generate, $4.4 million, or that the largest payment – $1.8 million – would come from Rogers County. The figures were provided to the Leader Tuesday following a written request.

The statement also did not disclose that the increase represented a 400 percent increase in the building levy, from 1 mill to 5 mills. That means that the tax from this one levy on a $200,000 house would jump from about $20 to $100 a year.

Also not disclosed is that the increase is on top of the 10 mill levy the district already charges for district operations.

By NTC’s own account, none of the money will be spent in Rogers County. Instead, it will be spent on “improvements … as part of the school’s long-term strategic plan.” That means money will be spent on unspecified projects at the campuses at Pryor, Afton and Kansas, the statement issued Monday said.

The new campus in Claremore, for which ground was broken last week, will be funded entirely with money the district already has in hand, Fox said.

NTC notes that it serves 29 public high schools whose students attend classes for free.

In a statement Monday, Fox said of the tax increase proposal, “We have a responsibility to our patrons to keep the facilities their tax dollars have paid for in top condition.”

If voters approve both propositions on the ballot next week, the levy increase would take effect July 1 and would be permanent.

NE Tech Centers also have their own version.

Wow. Isn’t this just like politicians with back pockets full of GOB’s to try and sneak something onto a ballot to take your money.
These counties will be affected: Mayes, Craig, Ottawa, Rogers and Delaware, Nowata, Wagoner and Cherokee.

Tyson Wynn tells me that his IP has been banned from the NTC website as of this morning. What a bunch of weenies. They should know that any geek blogger can bypass such childish restrictions.

If you live in one of the counties listed above, be sure and hit the polls on Dec. 11th and shut down these people trying to take your money. Before you go, email this guy: garyfox@netechcenters.com
Let him know exactly how you feel about his press release. He’s the NTC marketing and communications director. I’m sure as a communications director, he’d love to communicate with you about this. Perhaps he could also explain his involvement with this sneaky little scheme.

UPDATE: Batesline has picked up on this, as well, and explains how easy it is for web masters to ban IP addresses.