CEDAR HILL -- A war of wording has erupted over the school district's two-pronged effort at getting voters to approve a $53.5 million bond package and a 13-cent property tax increase, both slated for the Nov. 8 ballot. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 3.

Aside from the $53.5 million for school repairs, renovations, technology and security upgrades, a 13-cent property tax is being requested to fill the coffers for teacher salaries that were cut due to the current economic climate, according to Cedar Hill ISD and the citizen-led bond committee that proposed the measures.

Opposition to the CHISD bond referendum has originated from local Tea Party activists as well as senior citizens, which is unusual because much of the information presented to the public alleges that seniors taxes are frozen.

"Contrary to what weeks of Cedar Hill ISD mailings, their [political action committee] mailings, the CHISD Web site says, the CHISD [chief financial officer], as of October 17, 2011, has admitted some seniors 65 [and older] may have a tax increase if the CHISD [tax hike] and bonds pass," said Uri Johnson, a senior citizen who is spearheading opposition in the election. "The CHISD has conceded there may be some seniors 65 [and older] whose taxes will increase if [the tax hike and bond] passes, but not beyond their tax ceiling. They have agreed to modify their Web site to reflect this fact and the next PAC mailing will have some corrections. There was no mention of a time when these two events might occur. They stated no one thought of the fact some 65 [and older] seniors might have taxes below their ceiling and this they thought was an honest mistake. Only the CHISD knows what their corrections will say."

As of this article, none of the corrections to the CHISD Web site have taken place. VoteForCedarHillKids.org, the pro-bond package Web site for the political action committee working to pass the bond and tax increase, has an emphatic "the rates for taxpayers 65 years of age and older WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS ELECTION" banner at the bottom of their Web site.

Johnson, who is teaming up with Tea Party activist Chris Rasster on the opposition to CHISD's election, said the information from CHISD and the PAC is misleading.

"Those who estimated taxes that are below their ceiling will have a tax increase," Johnson said. That's if "CHISD gets its way. For the past two years I have been levied (actual tax bill on the Dallas County Tax Assessor/Collector Web site) a school tax that is $180 and $220 lower than my ceiling. The estimated difference on the [Dallas Central Appraisal District] for this year is $40. I am not quite certain why the estimated tax for 2011 is higher than the levied for the past two years."

The state Comptroller's Web site details how one's school taxes can go below the ceiling, but never exceed the ceiling.

"The taxes are not 'frozen,'" Johnson said. "Here is the truth about the 65 [and older] senior taxes as far as one can determine from the Dallas County Tax office at this moment. There is a tax ceiling for seniors and a tax rate for seniors. Both are fixed at age 65. It appears the CHISD is correct in that there will be no tax increase for seniors because of their tax rate hike. Their statement that taxes are frozen is misleading. What they should have stated is the tax rate is fixed and there will be no tax rate increase for seniors. Senior's taxes can fluctuate based upon appraised value but never go above the ceiling."

Even the tax office and appraisal district, Johnson said, is difficult to comprehend on this matter.

"I have been told by the tax office my rate is frozen but I am not certain now because the Dallas Central Appraisal District estimated taxes appear to be based upon the CHISD proposed tax rate of $1.57 per $100 of property valuation," he said. "This is really a tale told by idiots - those I talk to. The appraisal district says they do not know anything about rates and the tax office says the appraisal district knows about exemptions which they claim includes tax rates for seniors. I cannot find the state saying anything other than seniors having a tax ceiling i.e., one's school taxes will never be above the ceiling. Here is the question. I know I have a ceiling as a senior. My taxes now are below the ceiling. The [appraisal district] shows my proposed 2011 at my appraised value times the $1.57 CHISD [property tax] rate. Now I am wondering if anyone knows what they are talking about."

With 8,258 students and a looming budget deficit of $17.4 million, the 13-cent property tax increase would help plug that hole, according to Superintendent Horace Williams, whose $202,230 salary is among some of the highest administrator salaries in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Cedar Hill ISD's bond package debt -- the amount of debt on the books taxpayers owe to pay off school bonds -- is $281,717,788, according to the Texas Bond Review Board.

According to the state Comptroller's office, CHISD only spends 46.2 percent of its revenues on classroom instruction. The average teacher salary in CHISD is $49,748, according to the same Comptroller data.

"It about wore me out but [the state Comptroller's office] said no one in the state has a frozen tax rate," Johnson said. "Therefore, as a senior, my taxes will increase because my appraised value is the same as 2010, I am below the ceiling, but CHISD wants to raise my tax rate."

Joey G. Dauben/The Suburban
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