Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-03-10
OPINIONS ON SCHOOL BILL ARE
DECISIVE ONE WAY OR OTHER


local function but a state and nation
wide. The state makes an estimate
for educational purposes which the
council is compelled to levy; the coun
ty makes another levy which the
council must place in the tax budget;
the vocational board determines its
own budget for school purposes which
the council must levy.
"This bill mercy transfers the power
to fix the school budget from the
council, which knows little about, the
school needs, to the board of educa
ton whose members are intimately,
acquainted with school needs Mr..
Tobey concluded. "There is nothing
new or revolutionary about the bill;
it is merely the application of common
sense and democratic principles to To-
cal educational affairs"
Bill Dangerous
| City Attorney Ston3 believes that
the bill is an eXtere mely dangerous
one and declares that the council ac-
| tion against it was taken in the in
1 terests of taxpayers. "Our tax limit
now is three and one-half of our as
sessed valuation and with this new
| bill, No. 147, S., the taxing limit of
the city could be increased to double
! the amount, he declared in an inter-
view with Pilot representative
"The bill provides that the school
board shall make estimates of the
amounts needed for the expenses and
maintenance of schools. ETC., which
may be two per cent of the last as
sessed valuation of city property, and
wherever the tax of two per cent shall
not be sufficient for the maintenance
of schools, the board of education shall
have the power to add to the esti-
mate and the city council must cause
the amount so required to be spread
on the tax roll and it must be COL
lected in the same manner as other
city taxes.
Council Competent
'The city council has not played
politics. 1t is composed of competent
men of business experience elected
by the people of respective wards.
Our council has always worked in har-
mony and has co-operated with the
school board. This year it cut appro-
priations in every department-fre,
health, police, sewer: it will be un-
able to construct or repair streets and
sidewalks except in few cases be-
cause it has given everything to the
school board. After we had made the
budget and cut other departments then
under a law that school superinten-
dents had enacted at the special ses-
sion of the legislature, we were re-
quired to raise another eight mill tax
and the city council by doing this
gave the schools about $130, 900 more
In these days retrenchment and econ
omy are what everyone demands. The
people are tax ridden and taxed to
death. Our city council is watching
the interests of the people, the tax
payers, and also the best interests of
the public schools. The new bill gives
to the city superintendent too much
power. 1t makes that individual an
/ autocrat and czar.
"This bill was drafted by one or
more school superintendents. 1t pro-
vides, among other things. that the
superintendent may be elected for
five year term and that he shall be
chief executive officer of the board of
education. The school board cannot
employ teacher or .janitor or any
other employee until he or she has
been nominated by the city superin-
| tendent
I'VE feel that a public officer of any
city ought to feel free to go before the
people or the school board for reelec-
tion upon his record every two years.
| don't believe that anyone can find
fault with our city council or our
school board in their administration
of school affairs. The bill mentioned
is opposed by officers from practically
every city in the state of Wisconsin"
City Attorney Stone brought ont the
point that recently when the people
locally voted down the proposition of
school bonds, the council possessing
the power to raise the, money, pro-
ceeded to do so. This is just a single
instance showing the harmony that
has existed between the school board
and the city council in Wausau," he
says.
Taxes High Now
That the educational bill will mean
The imposition of tremendous bur-
den on taxpayers is the attitude the
majority of members of the city coun-
Gil take. They declare that already
the taxes in Wausau approximate foup
and quarter per cent, and that next
year the amount taxpayers will have
to pay will be larger than in 1921 be-
cause the assessed valuation, now es-
timated at fifty-seven per cent, will be
appreciably increased. Mr.. Stone de-
clares that his interviews with pro-
mlnent members of both the assembly
and senate at Madison have convinced
him that Bill No. 147, s.. hasn't the
ghost of chance.