THE FACE OF ANN ARBOR VOLUME 3, NUMBER 48

75

Inside

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Crime decreases 30 percent on campus

By Ben Baird
A2 Journal

Serious crime has decreased by 30 percent for the year to date at the University of Michigan, according to the university police chief. Index crime totals for the year are 585 based on crimes reported to the Department of Public Safety, a decrease from 837 in 2010. Police Chief Greg ODell said when officers consider these figures they need to be cautious because it doesnt change the need to stay vigilant. However, when ODell sees a 30 percent drop in crime hes happy about it,

he said. Larceny is the most reported crime, but index crime also includes homicide, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, home invasion, and motor vehicle theft. No homicides have been reported in either 2010 or 2011. Crime trends, recent activity and prevention strategies were among the topics of discussion at a public crime meeting Nov. 22 at the Department of Public Safety. The department holds N internal crime meeting every week that is attended by detectives, shift supervisors, and other representatives such as from the

University of Michigan Hospital and student housing. The public meeting followed the same format and provided an inside look at police methods. More than 30 members of the public attended the meeting, which ODell said really exceeded his expectations. He said he wants to open additional meetings to the public. By making the meeting public, he said he was also hoping to hear from the public. What are your crime concerns? ODell asked. One purpose of the meetings is to look at crime numbers to date and current trends, he said, so

On the RAIL

Crime trends, recent activity and prevention strategies were among the topics of discussion at a public crime meeting Nov. 22 at the Department of Public Safety. the department can direct officers toward areas that require more attention. Lt. Melissa Overton said the department has officers in plainclothes out every day targeting crime trends. These officers carry
PLEASE SEE CRIME/3-A

Sports
Pioneer hockey falls to Saline, 5-1.

Page 1-C

School board resolution opposes proposed tax repeal

By James David Dickson
A2 Journal

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The Ann Arbor Board of Education recently adopted a resolution opposing a fourline piece of legislation in the Michigan Senate that would eliminate the Personal Property Tax Dec. 31. Senate Bill 34 would repeal Michigans Personal Property Tax, but wouldnt replace it with anything. The repeal would cost Ann Arbor Public Schools some $5.28 million, or roughly $316 per student. Currently Senate Bill 34 , has yet to clear the Finance Committee. There is no committee meetings scheduled for the rest of the year. As the bill analysis explains: Personal property includes ... commercial equipment, furniture, and fixtures, industrial machinery and equipment, gas and electric transmission and distribution equipment, oil pipelines, and agriculture equipment and produce that are not exempt. Like real property the analy, sis continues, personal property is assessed at 50 percent of its true cash value. The analysis goes on to explain how Senate Bill 34 would affect local units of government, including public school systems. Local school districts received approximately $195.8 million in personal property taxes for operating purposes, based on 2010 taxable values, the analysis states. This revenue reduced the amount of (School Aid Fund) expenditures needed to bring local school districts up to their guaranteed per-pupil funding level. The bill would reduce local operating taxes by approximately $195.8 million. If per-pupil funding guarantees were maintained, the loss of local revenue would require additional SAF expenditures. Assuming per-pupil funding guarantees were unchanged, between the loss of State Education Tax revenue and the increase in SAF expenditures, the net impact on the SAF would total approximately $299.6 million. Staff Writer James David Dickson can be reached at JDickson@Heritage.com.

Parents join budget process

More than 100 participate in forums held during November
By James David Dickson
A2 Journal

Check out our video:

Crime prevention over the holidays U-M police open crime meeting to public

nn Arbor Public Schools parents said they wanted to be a bigger part of the budget process this year. They werent joking. Last month, more than 100 parents made their way to the cafeteria annex at Pioneer High School to participate in the second of two Ann Arbor Public School budget forums held in November; the first was Nov. 10 at Huron High School. Parents entered the annex to find paper versions of the budget presentation they would soon witness, pink signin sheets, yellow budget books and sharpened pencils on their tables. Robert Allen, deputy superintendent for operations, opened the forum by reviewing how the district got to this position, with a need to cut some $14 million from the 2012-13 budget after having cut more than $40 million over the last five years. The budget presentation, in its entirety, can be found online at the AAPS homepage. Allen started out by explaining how certain funds may or may not be

used by the school district. Sometimes a parent or a community member will ask why AAPS is doing a capital improvement project at the same time it is claiming poverty. Allen explained that only general fund dollars can be used for operating expenses, such as teacher salaries, while other buckets of money, such as debt service or the sinking fund or grant funds, are all restricted in their use. The presentation moved to an explanation of how school systems are funded in Michigan, which is a mix of a contribution from the state, local property taxes, and, in the case of Ann Arbor and several dozen other wealthy districts, which became donors after the passage of Proposal A, the Hold Harmless millage fund. In Ann Arbor, $1,234 per pupil, annually, over and above its base allowance. Ann Arbor Public Schools will spend $9,020 per pupil in 2011-12. Allen left a zero in the column for the states $233 per pupil 20J Hold Harmless contribution, funding source Lansing killed in 2009. The entire reason 20J funding came about was to keep the promise behind Proposal A, which was that wealthi-

er districts would be held harmless by the state in the course of becoming donors to poorer districts. Less than 30 percent of the public education tax dollars collected in district boundaries go into the local school system. When Ann Arbor Public Schools says it has a structural deficit, what does it mean? It means revenue is increasing at a lower rate than expenses, Allen said. Since the passage of Proposal A of 1994, the school districts budget has grown by an average of 1 percent a year, or $80.33. But during that same time period, the Consumer Price Index rose by some 2.14 percent. This is problematic because public school districts have few revenue options. They cant charge tuition; they cant charge bus riders for the service. School-of-choice is an option, sure, but for rich districts it doesnt produce the same revenue as local students do, since the recipient district receives the foundation allowance from the students home district. Nor, since Proposal A, can individual districts raise local revenue enhancement millages. Those must pass at the intermediate school

district level. In the case of Ann Arbor Public Schools, the countys wealthiest school district, it can lead to the feeling Ann Arbors being held back by neighbors who have different priorities and different finances. In November 2009, when the 10 public school districts in Washtenaw County asked for an enhancement millage, Ann Arbors voters were the only ones to say yes. This wasnt enough, and the millage failed. Two years later, almost to the date, and the defeat still stings its former proponents. Its the reason why, on the Where do we go from here? part of Allens presentation, at the top of the list was lobbying the state for a change in the way schools are funded. The first bullet point on that list reads: Increase local control over school funding. Translation: We need the money, now, and we cant wait for our neighbors to come around to feeling the same way. After the presentation, parents spent time discussing budget items with their tablemates, with the purpose of reporting back to the larger group.
PLEASE SEE BUDGET/3-A

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