Dear editor,

What is the true cost of the Marshfield School District funding referendum? Perhaps taxpayers should consider this.

The cost of the referendum is usually said to be $25 per year for someone owning a $100,000 home, but this is simply the amount of increase.

Voting for the new referendum renews the existing referendum amount of $125 and adds another $25 on top of that, bringing the real cost of the referendum to $150 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

Thus, if this new referendum is not passed, Marshfield taxes would actually go down by $125 when the existing referendum expires.

Then multiply these amounts out for the four-year length of the referendum to calculate the true cost. The new referendum would actually cost $600 for the owner of a $100,000 home.

These amounts are far different in reality than what’s implied with the often used-language: “25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value,” based on a Marshfield TV interview with district officials.

Passing the referendum is said to be for children and families, but what about other taxpayers who do not get basic pay increases, face rising prices on necessities, and may be on fixed incomes?

Please consider these issues when voting.

Paul Dragert

Marshfield