Taxpayers to Get Squeezed After Minneapolis School District Mismanages Their Budget, Again…

The Minneapolis School District can’t seem to get their act together. The district overspent by $21.6 million last year, now the school district is seeking to raise property taxes by $18 million in a referendum on the ballot this fall. If you live in Minneapolis, you can see what these additional levies will cost you by clicking here.

The Minneapolis School District has been badly mismanaged. According to a Star Tribune article from last year, auditors highlighted seven areas of financial missteps, including problems in budgeting, payroll and approval of district purchasing cards.

“Some employees remained on payroll after they left the district or took leaves, and as of June 30, 70 people owed about $80,000 to the district. In some accounting areas, the same employees were able to handle multiple steps of a payment. And sometimes, expenses on district-issued purchasing cards, or p-cards, didn’t get approved before payment or at all.”

Of course, anyone who questions the wisdom of handing over an additional $18 million to an organization that has failed to live within its means will almost assuredly be chastised as hating children and attempting to undermine public education.

Heaven forbid Minneapolis property taxpayers grow weary of being treated as the City’s cash piñatas, largely ignored until City Council Members of the school district want to fund another vanity project.