February 28, 2009 was a special day for the Smyrna School District when it celebrated the “I Love Smyrna School District Day” with over 6,000 people attending. It certainly was an exciting day seeing all the vendors with their displays, Moms and Dads with their children, the educational team, the students performing in various venues, the presentation of certificates and medals demonstrating this year’s core value of Responsibility and recognition of Ruth and Charlie Williams for their tireless effort on behalf of the School District. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for recognizing me also, as a community leader.
I think the important people of the day were the students with their parents and the teachers. It is overwhelming to see such a wonderful turnout at a time in history when things are not as bright as they could be. What impressed me the most was the respect and compassion that everyone had for each other. Certainly, as older citizens, we have nothing to be concerned about when it comes to America’s future. These young students represent the best and the highest therefore giving us a renewed hope for our future. Our vision, our hopes and our dreams will be fulfilled because of these young students, their parents and their teachers. America’s best days are ahead of her because of these dedicated and respectful young people. In the media much of what we see and hear is not always positive but it is days like this one that restores your faith in the system. Believe it or not, it actually works.
Sincere congratulations to the team that put the all day program together. I am confident that many off duty, overtime and unpaid hours were spent in making this day a fantastic success. Congratulations to everyone who was there and in any capacity that they participated.
Levy Court budget preparation
A brief note on Levy Court: As you have read and heard Levy Court is in the final six weeks of our budget preparation for fiscal 2010. We still have a lot of work to do but by the end of April we intend to have a balanced budget. We have been successful in reducing many items of cost on the expense side that has resulted in millions of dollars in savings for 2009 as well as 2010. We are in the discussion mode at this point and there will be plenty of opportunity for public input.
One item that still has a lot of people confused is their tax bill. Many of our new friends look at their tax bill and confuse school tax with property tax and in many cases simply get a statement from their mortgage company with a bottom line number, instead of a breakdown. A simple example would be that the total bill is $1,800 when in reality the county tax portion would be $279. If your tax bill totaled $1,000, your county portion would be $155. I am not trying to confuse you but I have received 11 phone calls from new residents indicating that their tax bill has been increased several times over the past years and that of course is not factual.
In fact, we have reduced taxes twice over the past 12 years. The county tax was 27.5 cents per $100 of assessed value in 1997 and was reduced to 26.5 cents, and in 1998 was reduced again from 26.5 cents to 25 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, and that is where it now stands. I hope this clears up any confusion about the Kent County portion of your tax bill. Again all options are on the table and our intentions are to create as little impact as possible. Thank you for understanding!
Safe Driving Month
Also a special note congratulating JoVonna Dodge and her team of students at Smyrna High School for promoting May as “Safe Driving Month” not only in Delaware but across the United States. They have developed some very intriguing programs designed to cut down on teen accidents and subsequent deaths. Great job done by all!
SMYRNA, Del. —
