By Scott Harvey
Celeste – The Celeste School Board is asking for a 13-cent tax increase on the November 4 ballot to cope with rising costs.
The Greenville Herald Banner reports the increase is needed to pay to get the new high school up and running. It will also pay for the rising utility and fuel costs; pay to keep teacher salaries competitive and to provide quality extracurricular programs.
Trustees are seeking to raise the maintenance and operations tax rate from $1.04 to $1.17 per $100 valuation. The projected revenues at the current tax rate will not cover the district's 2008-09 budget, according to a Celeste ISD press release. If voters reject the proposed tax rate hike, CISD will have to utilize savings to cover a $51,000 budget deficit.
Also next week, voters in Greenville will be deciding whether to allow sales of beer and wine in local stores, and whether to abolish the need for private clubs at Greenville restaurants which sell alcohol.
Both measures, plus live up-to-the-minute coverage in the race for president, district attorney, sheriff, and more can be heard on KETR. Our coverage gets underway Tuesday, November 4 at 7 p.m.