I recently sent the following email to each of the five Jefferson County, WV Board of Education members and Superintendent Chuck Bishop, seeking details about how the Board of Education has spent our tax dollars. The current School Excess Levy was voted in by the voters of Jefferson County on November 3, 2020. It took effect on July 1, 2021, and extends until June 30, 2026. the amount stated hat has been raised each year is $22,412,937, or about $2582 for each of about 8682 students.
The reason I sent the letter below is that the accounting for what our tax dollars are spent on is very opaque. I believe in the necessity for transparency, honesty and accountability on the part of our Board of Education.
If the Board of Education cannot detail clearly where our tax dollars have gone and/or if they have wastefully spent our hard-earned tax dollars, then the next Excess Levy should not be approved. If you pay $1000 per year in property taxes, $400 goes toward the excess levy.
Vote No to More Taxes; Against the Levy
Just the surplus from the Excess Levy this past fiscal year covered all teaching and service personnel not covered by state funding, plus the teachers’ levy bonus. Where did the other $17 million plus designated for salaries go?
The current School Excess Levy in Jefferson County West Virginia was voted in on November 3, 2020 and runs from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2026 and raises at least $22,412,937 per year, or $2720 per student EXTRA!
Now the Jefferson County Board of Education wants us to pay $25,427,656 per year for the next School Excess Levy, which, if not defeated on November 5, 2024, will take effect from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031.
The accounting for what our tax dollars are spent on is very opaque. I believe in the necessity of transparency, honesty and accountability on the part of our Board of Education.Since the Board of Education cannot detail clearly where our tax dollars have gone, the next Excess Levy should not be approved.
According to the limited data which was provided by Superintendent Chuck Bishop, teacher and service personnel salaries account for about 16% of the total excess levy amount collect for the 2023 fiscal year, which was $27,724,340, or $5,296,684 more than the projected $22,412,937. Only 39 teaching positions, out of 559 total positions, and 0.4 (yes, less than one) nurses, school counselors or attendance workers, plus 70 service personnel out of 394 total are paid out of levy funds.
But the county does not distinguish between the regular school levy funds, which are $330 per $1000 of property taxes collected, and the excess levy funds, which are another $391 for every $1000 of property tax collected. This means that those 39 teachers, 0.4 nurses and counselors and 70 service personnel are also funded by County school funds that will be available even when the Excess Levy does not pass. And only $800 of Excess Levy funds per year are paid to a teacher with five years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree, or less than two (2) percent of all Excess Levy funds collected, in total, goes to teachers.
The extra amount collected of $5,296,684 above the projected amount of $22,412.937 in itself could have paid for all of the personnel not covered by the state formula, the cost of which was about $4.5 million. Yet the Excess Levy collected $21,650,284 for salaries. And remember that salaries not covered by the state are also paid from the regular County School Levy (labeled “School Current” on your property tax bill). So, where did the other $17,412,937 of excess levy salary support go, considering that only some $420,000 went to support teacher salaries and about $4.5 million from all levy funds, both excess and county current, went to pay teachers and other personnel not covered by the state formula?
No doubt, the bloated Jefferson County Schools central office staff of 44 received a good portion of the excess levy funds. A new state law requires the Board of Education to make available to anyone who asks a list of all employees’ salaries, which was due on September 30, 2024. Yet the Board of Education and the Superintendent have not made that list available as of October 25, 2024. What are they hiding? Maybe the $9000 average bonuses per central office employee, that increase every year and continue perpetually, that the Board of Education granted to central office staff in 2020? As you can see, there is a severe lack of transparency in the spending of our tax dollars.
The bloated central office staff has 44 personnel, up six personnel since 2020. Yet, school enrollment has declined by 715 students, or 8 percent since the 2019 to 2020 school year. The total school budget then was $118,000,0000, but now for the 2023-2034 fiscal year it was 127,691505, up 8 percent for 8 percent less students.
In fiscal 2025, the Board of Education wants to increase the budget even further, in spite of no increase in enrollment, and lackluster student performance, with 74 percent of high school students not proficient in math, and 38 percent not proficient in reading.
Vote no to more taxes, and AGAINST THE LEVY.
More information about the School Excess Levy in Jefferson County, West Virginia: visionroot.org/levy.
| Summary | |
| Introduction Addressing High School Taxes and School Levy System Jack is a liberty minded constitutional and fiscal conservative. The Constitution is Jack’s guideline for everything he does in the civil world, and the Bible is his guide for the religious world. | |
| Jack and Richard discussed their concerns about high school taxes and the fact that large school spending has not equated with good school performance. They agreed that the system needs improvement and more transparency, particularly in relation to the allocation of funds and the salaries of school employees. Jack indicated that there are many fine teachers, but we have not seen the results for all of the money spent. | |
| County Budget Discussion and Accountability | |
| Jack and Richard discussed the county budget and the allocation of funds. Jack spoke highly of Edwina Benites as the new County Administrator. Jack expressed concern about the county commissioners’ weak questioning during budget presentations and suggested that they should ask tougher questions. He also emphasized the need for a detailed, to-the-penny accounting of how funds have been spent in the past Both agreed that the county administrators should provide more detailed information about the budget and ask questions such as how county funds are being supplemented by fundraising by a particular organization, for example. | |
| Improving Communication, Budget, and Emergency Services | |
| Jack and Richard discussed the importance of clear communication and being able to ask a good question, drawing from Jack’s experience in the military and aerospace industries. They also discussed the challenges faced by the county, particularly in relation to the budget for 1st responders and the need to increase it. Jack suggested a boost of 35 to the current 35 officers, despite acknowledging that this might not be fiscally possible. They also discussed the need for improvements in the local fire and ambulance services. Jack indicated that the independent fire houses are doing a great job with Richard suggesting the possibility of establishing a firehouse in Shannondale. Jack mentioned that Mike Mood, who has a good understanding of the problem, would be consulted for further guidance. | |
| Improving Road Infrastructure and Emergency Services | |
| Richard and Jack discussed the need for improved road infrastructure and emergency services in their area. They highlighted safety concerns due to the lack of a Southern exit from Shannondale and suggested exploring options like returning an ambulance to the firehouse on the mountain. Jack expressed concerns about prior deals and proposed a review of previous policy decisions regarding public safety decisions. Richard also noted the need for improvements in waste management and recycling, such as improvement of recycling facilities at the county dump. Both prioritized the well-being of residents and taking beneficial actions. Jack suggested having a town hall when there is a big issue. | |
| West Virginia Referendum and Comprehensive Plan Discussion | |
| Jack and Richard discussed the process of initiating a referendum in West Virginia, with Jack explaining that special elections can only be held during regularly scheduled primaries or federal elections. [Editorial note: West Virginia does not allow referendums at the county level. Only cities can hold referendums. School levies and bonds can now only be held during Primary or General elections, not special elections.] They also discussed the Comprehensive Plan for Jefferson County, with Jack expressing concerns about the lack of restrictions on development and the absence of traceability from the old plan to the new one. Richard mentioned that the new plan is more like a vision, and the actual county ordinance, the Solar Text amendment, legally allows solar farms. Jack voted against forwarding the Comprehensive Plan to the County Commission due to these concerns. Objective 1.4.1 needs review and more work, as it can be interpreted as allowing any kind of development in Jefferson County without restriction. The old Comprehensive plan used the word “beauty” 27 times, while the new plan uses the word “beauty” zero (0) times. Jack wants to know what is new in the proposed comprehensive plan, and what has been deleted. | |
| Solar Text Amendment and Zoning Discussions | |
| Richard and Jack discussed the Solar Text Amendment, which was initially repealed but later reinstated. Jack expressed his desire to remove the solar text amendment and change zoning laws to include stronger regulations on solar farms. He also mentioned that five solar farms in the county have been approved, which he believes are visible on main roads and could potentially be expanded if new transmission lines are added. Richard brought up a meeting about a proposed power line corridor, which Jack confirmed was related to the issue of solar farms reaching their transmission line limit. | |
| Corner Connection Meeting and Candidate Discussion | |
| Jack and Richard discussed a meeting at Corner Connection, 108 S. Samuel St. in Charles Town on October 23rd at 6:30 p.m., a community event where Jack plans to learn more about the expansion of high voltage lines in Jefferson County. Jack praised the group for their thorough research and substantiated information. Jack also discussed one opponent who is a very liberal Democrat who came out in full support of LGBTQ at a candidate’s forum. His opponent also supports the Green New Deal while saying he is anti-solar. | |
| Jack’s other opponent is Mountain Party. Jack indicated that the Mountain Party platform is far more liberal than the Democrats platform. He indicated that this candidate often insults the existing County Commissioners during public testimony time. Jack may not agree with every County Commissioner, but he wants to keep a cordial relationship with them. Jack invited anyone with a question to contact him personally. Jack discussed that he did not author the solar text amendment to allow solar farms. He indicated that those developing the solar projects should be held to account for all of the conditions that were included in the resolution that was passed by the County Commission. There should be heavy fines when solar developers do not comply with all of the agreed conditions. The Blake solar farm has been horrendous. He explained the process of conditional use permits for solar farms, which first go to the Board of Zoning Appeals and then to the Planning Commission. If the Board of Zoning Appeals approves the site plan, then the Planning Commission cannot reverse it. The Planning Commission can vote on the site plan and the proffers. Jack voted for proffers to make the conditions for solar developers more severe. As a planning commissioner, he also voted against a recent solar development proposal due to a lack of notification of the surrounding community. Jack shared that he is the only County Commissioner candidate who has passed a CIA lifestyle polygraph. | |
Richard discusses Mary Ann Claytor’s experience as an actual auditor, the auditing of local school system expenditures, the need for transparency and not using the Auditor’s office as a political stepping stone, plus much more.
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Addressing County’s Pressing Issues and Funding |
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Mike Mood, a candidate for the Middle Way district seat on the Jefferson County Commission, discussed the county’s most pressing issues. He highlighted the need for increased funding to support public safety, education, and other essential services. Mike emphasized that the county’s tax base is insufficient to meet these needs, and that the construction of new houses is exacerbating the problem. He suggested that the county should focus on attracting commercial growth to improve its tax base and reduce the burden on residential growth. Mike also mentioned that a public hearing on increasing impact fees for new construction is scheduled for November. |
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| West Virginia Congressional District and Election Discussion | |
| Richard and Steven discussed the upcoming election and Steven’s candidacy for the US House of Representatives in the Second Congressional District. Steven explained that the district, which covers 27 counties and spans 10,000 square miles, was redistricted in 2020 due to a loss in population. He also highlighted the unique aspects of West Virginia’s constitution, which makes gerrymandering of Congressional seats virtually impossible. Steven, who lives in Hardy County, expressed his love for the natural beauty of the area. | |
| John’s Background and Policy Support Discussion | |
| John shared his background, which includes graduating from Shepherd University, serving in the army in Vietnam, and being elected to the House of Delegates. He expressed his support for clean air and water, good public schools, reproductive freedom for women, an elected Public Service Commission, and the right to repair products. He also mentioned Delegate Kayla Young’s bill for the right to repair agricultural equipment and his intention to introduce a similar bill for all products if elected. | |