Monticello school board holds Truth‑in‑Taxation hearing after voter‑approved operating referendum; final levy vote set for Dec. 15

Monticello Public School District officials presented a Truth‑in‑Taxation hearing Monday to explain how a recently approved operating referendum and state funding shape the district’s proposed levy. Director of Business Services Tina Burkholder told the board the levy approved in December will be collected in 2026 and applied to the district’s 2026‑27 budget.

"The levy that's approved in December...gets collected in the following year, 2026," Burkholder said, and she emphasized that state aid remains the largest revenue source: "the largest source of 77% is state aid." She also described the referendum’s budget impact, saying the voter‑approved question increases referendum‑related revenue by roughly $3.0 million (Burkholder and presentation materials use figures in the $3.0M–$3.4M range).

Board members stressed why they put the referendum to voters. Mark Branson, a member of the district budget committee, said the board declined an automatic renewal so the community could decide. "We put this into the voters' hands rather than taking control of it as a board," Branson said, adding the board wanted a multi‑year solution rather than a short reprieve.

Public comment reflected taxpayer concern and questions about how levy dollars will be used. Lisa Latello, a resident who identified herself during the public‑comment period, said she is seeing a notable tax increase: "Next year, my taxes are going up $563 for this levy." Another attendee (no name provided in the record) criticized ballot language around the referendum, saying, "The fact that it wasn't written on the ballot itself is obviously deceitful to the voters." That speaker urged the board to consider constitutional and statutory questions raised by the ballot wording.

Burkholder walked through levy mechanics and timelines, explaining how property valuations, state formulas, and voter‑approved levies interact. She reiterated there was no action on the levy Monday; the board will take up final levy approval at its Dec. 15 meeting.

What happens next: The district will return Dec. 15 for the formal levy approval required by state timelines. Burkholder said staff can provide more detail on statutory limits and a comparison to commissioner limits on operating levies if the board requests it.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A by Tina Burkholder at the Monticello Public School District board meeting, Dec. 1, 2025. The public comment period included remarks by resident Lisa Latello and an unidentified commenter who raised statutory/constitutional concerns.

Ending: The board took no levy action on Dec. 1; final levy approval is scheduled for Dec. 15, 2025.