Swanton School District making financial progress

Treasurer Cheryl Swisher and the Swanton Local Schools Board of Education have been making good progress on keeping the district financially sound and saving district residents' money.

Their latest plan is to place a income tax renewal on the ballot at a lower rate than is currently collected. The board wants to decrease the levy from 1.25 percent to 0.75 percent.

It is not very often that you see a taxing entity give money back. In fact, Swisher was told by an Ohio Department of Taxation employee that it is the first time he has seen a request to actually lower taxes. He and some area citizens have questioned if district officials were sure that they wanted to lower the levy.

Swisher has given board members and area residents plenty of reason to trust her on financial issues within the district, as she helped dig it out of the financial crisis earlier this decade. She has helped keep the district above water financially and has found ways to save or make money several times.

Most noteworthy is her work on the district's investment money. The district went from collecting $3,532 in interest in 2004 to $370,122 in 2007. This is one of several ways the district has avoided deficit spending.

Now the school board and Swisher have a plan to keep the district from running a deficit and at the same time give money back to the community in the form of a tax cut. A resident who makes $50,000 per year would save $250 with the tax cut if approved by voters.

The Swanton School Board has taken the step to lower taxes for district residents. Now it is up to voters to renew the levy at its lower rate.

The school district, like most other districts throughout the state, still needs money generated through levies. But Swisher and the school board have worked hard to give voters the option to keep the district stable and give themselves a tax cut at the same time.