Del. bill could allow school boards to raise taxes without referendums

DELAWARE – There’s a piece of proposed legislation that would allow Delaware school districts to raise taxes without a referendum.

The bill would give school boards the option to increase the rate or amount of it’s district operating tax by at least 2 percent every year without voter approval.

Although, it still gives the board the opportunity to hold a referendum if they wanted to raise the operating tax by more than 2 percent.

It’s something Indian River Superintendent Mark Steele has some concerns about.

“The school board is not going to support that legislation. It;s just not going to happen and it still gives the board the option if you look at that, it’s not saying they get to do that. They get to choose, they can do that or they can go to a referendum our board would choose to go to referendum.”

Steele believes somewhere down the line there is going to be something better than what school districts have to do now that’s going to be fair to the taxpayers, but isn’t sold that this the answer.

Delaware is about one of only four remaining states that still uses the referendum method.