Cedar Rapids voters get 2nd crack at tax increase for school buildings

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids voters will get a second chance to extend and increase the tax levy that will pay for less-than-flashy but what some say is much need school building upkeep.

The school district is asking for a 10-year physical plant and improvement levy, or PPEL, which officials pronounce as 'people,” at a rate of $1.34 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

'While I am not normally a big government tax increase sort of guy, the PPEL increase makes since to me,” said Scott Drzycimski, a Cedar Rapids father and member of RISE, a group promoting the PPEL. 'Anyone who lives in an older home knows, the cost of maintaining a house goes up every year. They also know it is a necessary expense, and you'll pay more for it next year if you don't this year.”

The vote is on Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and vote centers will be located at the four high schools - Jefferson, Kennedy, Metro, and Washington.

Springville and Solon voters also will consider approving money for school projects on Tuesday.

Cedar Rapids voters rejected a similar PPEL proposal in fall 2013. At that time, it garnered 43 percent of the vote, well short of the simple majority needed to pass.

For a $100,000 home, the property owner would pay an extra $37.43 per year on in addition to what they are paying now, if the measure passes. The new rate would double the current rate of 67-cents per $1,000.

The district says the rate hasn't been increased in 40 years, and the current PPEL expires on June 30, 2015.

'The PPEL so far has been able to keep us at a point where we kept up with emergencies and things that are really critical needs in our buildings,” school board member John Laverty said at a recent board meeting. 'But, we need to get ahead of the curve now. The deferred maintenance list I've seen is growing every year.”

The money would be spent on preventive maintenance, equipment purchases, facility repairs, safety and security projects, increased investment in vehicles and buses, and energy conservation efforts, according to the district.

By law, PPEL funds have a limited scope of what they can be used for: maintenance, technology, and equipment.

In the other two elections on Tuesday:

In Solon, a 60 percent majority will be needed to approve a $25.5 million bond for a new middle school, high school additions and other projects. In a second vote, a simple majority is needed to allow the Solon district to maintain its PPEL at the voter-approved maximum of $1.34 per $1,000, for a decade beginning on July 1, 2016.

In Springville, a 60 percent majority will be needed to approve a $7.2 million bond to fix and expand the elementary school and for the ability to increase the tax levy up to $4.05 per $1,000 of taxable property value to pay for it. That's an extra $256 per year for a homeowner of $125,000 home in Springville, according to district figures.