CSD Finances and Accountability
CSD and your taxes
March 26, 2021
City Schools of Decatur is proposing a 2-point millage increase on your property taxes next year. Furthermore, they are anticipating that the digest will grow 7.3% in aggregate.....
CSD Board duty is clear
March 11, 2021
Decatur Superintendent David Dude has multiple weeks of unexplained absences from the job we have entrusted him to do, a job no less important...
School Bond vote
October 13, 2015
It should not be news to anyone that Decatur schools are nearly full and estimates show significant growth over the next several years. To address this, the City Schools of Decatur is...
Municipal Finance and Your Tax Bill
How city debt works
March 5, 2015
I realize that a conversation about municipal debt is about as riveting as a root canal, but based on what I’ve seen discussed on the topic so far I think some explaining is in order...
How to read your tax bill
May 25, 2015
There are few topics that can ignite a debate as sharply as taxes. I suspect the reason for this is twofold:
1. No one enjoys paying taxes, and
2. The compromises necessary...
Municipal Transparency and Accountability
City of Decatur Budget
June 7, 2015
For the purposes of this column, we’ll focus on Decatur’s proposed operating budget, also called the general fund. The city is proposing a $23.2 million general fund expenditure budget...
Avondale accountability
October 20, 2019
Let me tell you how a government official would go about enriching themselves at the expense of taxpayers without the public knowing about it. Step one: find an existing city contract...
Clarity in LaVista Hills
October 5, 2015
Over the past few weeks we’ve seen an interesting brouhaha foment over whether LaVista Hills would be a viable city, fueled by two competing analyses of the proposed city’s finances...