[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6138783,"mediaKeyId","5582041-516ee465aa677e2484c12f9fef2d089d","parentId",5582041,"title","Munster finance director warns Senate Enrolled Act 1 will alter tax‑rate math, likely increasing the rate though homeowners pay less","audioSeconds",391,"startMs",1931000,"endMs",2322000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582041-516ee465aa677e2484c12f9fef2d089d&start=1931&end=2322","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582041-516ee465aa677e2484c12f9fef2d089d/thumbnail_1931000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6138783/Indiana/Munster-finance-director-warns-Senate-Enrolled-Act-1-will-alter-taxrate-math-likely-increasing-the-rate-though-homeowners-pay-less","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138783-791f3d3fe83a369592080cd2f8b604b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188866&Signature=l7zmm4145tLLMPKC4DTtLwnIFYQ7ZuwaABnoIbuz2kM8tArFdDutwW~tGdq8mIAqxqegBFVFgwZfK56yVoVE6y2pKlzAS7kBsv~nGQITCgFt5tE3N-z8vu4eCLOeV27TgeJbfbTiEfWcG13U~FkNTMGcmhEN4SHXiLDNxcTC~rCdzeqn4cfsQTYUTA26XXnzf~m2pF219NwOvkIOpIJi130fAAbdAEKF-gbjkQXzVBalHVO4ZJ~uyWdz8zhW3pVlJmy9OgMa8iEI2EYKcvB8DeWTOGIdISmY~yDFZv5tZX1w1cuR2IhieS5lOQw2cksF81W1XTDymUAyse8dF2Pjrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","School Town of Munster","date","2025-08-12T11:50:04Z","article","The School Town of Munster's finance director told the School Board Aug. 12 that changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 will change how tax rates and assessed values interact, likely requiring the district to increase its tax rate even while residents’ bills may fall.
\"Senate enrolled act 1 has changed the game,\" Finance Director Mister Melby said, explaining that gross assessed value is expected to rise while the law's new formula will reduce net assessed value. \"So something that we're gonna have to look to do is to increase the tax rate. But by increasing the tax rate, our taxpayers will actually be paying less than they currently are now with the net assessed value going down. It's just a formula.\"
Melby reviewed the district's current fund positions and reminded the board that a three‑pay month next month will reduce cash balances. He said the district's historical tax rate targets were about $1.41 and that recent years had been below that level (about $1.26 in 2025). He urged the district and board to tell that story publicly so residents understand the mechanics behind any future tax‑rate change.
Board members and Superintendent Doctor Hicks agreed the district should communicate the impacts to the community. \"The more that we can talk about it in public, the more folks are not like, hey, why did you inflate this tax rate when their bill comes?\" Doctor Hicks said.
The finance director said the district will address the issue again at the Sept. 8 budget meeting and that, under the new law, the district will likely see decreasing cash balances between major tax draws (June to November). No formal budget action or tax‑rate change was taken at the Aug. 12 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Town of Munster Regular School Board Meeting 8/11/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Aug. 12 meeting the district finance director summarized current fund balances and warned that state changes (Senate Enrolled Act 1) will reduce the district's net assessed value and likely require an increase in the tax rate even though taxpayers may pay less under the new formula.","taxTitle","School Town of Munster, School Boards, Indiana","taxId",58177,"location","Indiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6138789,"Munster holds public hearing on 2025 teacher collective bargaining; public comment limited to listening session",315,940000,1255000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582041-516ee465aa677e2484c12f9fef2d089d&start=940&end=1255","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582041-516ee465aa677e2484c12f9fef2d089d/thumbnail_940000.jpg","/articles/6138789/Indiana/Munster-holds-public-hearing-on-2025-teacher-collective-bargaining-public-comment-limited-to-listening-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138789-14dd5a2c9cfeb99f63b25676cd6c01e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188866&Signature=l-qQYWOXs53Rr50~EqaFkR6~TX8zbTM5DkLgvAWosIkvXSPkBqAJH654UR8rPhnINx~PZfDccokrMjz7yvcyd9guF4gD4n65d7o-Ay~vZOt5gRQQ~455zH~iVkNHtsH0yl1TXfXQeiNr8Sep~sQjE3OTpAjXOTvX4ThYRpryeIgleO1ooti~NL9aTkeMVmr0QciDZ4MPN~P~XV-nS5quWLYLNF5x2Qym6n9whI7Rjc3zt9pTbly3h5CLgC~lnFqdjlhqZmsCXgyRwapPOxRZMUlDzoWfjnSh1hWEqSELNWKHJ8QTXfeQqcnQDqUiqCkTY3VpDgtSgrdyP8OKWJ1voA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School Town of Munster Board of Trustees opened a public hearing Aug. 12 to receive testimony on the 2025 teacher collective bargaining process required by state law, and officials stressed the session was for comment only with no responses or board action.
Mr. Trippenfeldis, a district staff member who explained the process to the board, cited Indiana Code Title 20, Article 29, Chapter 6, Section 1 and said formal negotiations “begin on September 15 and conclude no later than 11/15/2025.” He told attendees that if the district and the Munster Teachers Association reach a tentative agreement, the board will present a summary at a public meeting, post the tentative agreement on the district website and, after at least 72 hours, hold a second meeting where the board may vote with public comment allowed before that vote.
The superintendent, Doctor Hicks, and the Munster Teachers Association representative, Larry Hotzinger, co‑hosted the hearing, and officials emphasized that the hearing was a listening session. \"This public hearing is only for the purpose of hearing public comment and testimony regarding collective bargaining. There will be no response from either party,\" Trippenfeldis said.
During the hearing one parent addressed the board. \"Teachers deserve a raise,\" the parent, Miss Dimockchak, said, adding that teachers’ pay has not kept pace with rising insurance costs and that newer hires are sometimes paid near the same level as mid‑career staff.
Officials also told the public that if the district and teachers do not ratify a contract by November, the parties must follow impasse procedures under state law and the state employment relations board. Board action at the Aug. 12 meeting was limited to opening and then closing the public hearing; both motions passed on voice votes that carried 4‑0.
The district provided instructions for public comment: comments on action items must be submitted by noon the day of the meeting; general public comment requires signing an index card with name and topic at the start of the meeting; individual remarks are limited to three minutes and each public comment section is capped at 30 minutes.
No tentative agreement was presented at the hearing, and the board took no policy action on bargaining at the meeting.","School Town of Munster held a public hearing Aug. 12 to satisfy Indiana statutory notice for the 2025 teacher collective bargaining process; officials said the hearing was a listening session with no responses or board action and outlined the statutory timeline for negotiations.","actionData","errors"]

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Munster finance director warns Senate Enrolled Act 1 will alter tax‑rate math, likely increasing the rate though homeowners pay less

Munster holds public hearing on 2025 teacher collective bargaining; public comment limited to listening session