School board reaches deep into family budget

To the Editor:

Which pocket will the money come from? For a family of two adults and two children, with a house valued at $150,000 and income of $75,000, the school board’s tax increase of $414 will take a big chunk out of their disposable income.

I went to Taxformcalculator.com and to the liberal Economic Policy Institute for some estimates of a family budget in Cleveland Heights:

  • Take-home pay after a 10-percent 401(k) contribution and all taxes: $58,560.
  • Property tax: $6,114
  • Housing: $9,239
  • Food: $9,077
  • Transportation: $13,047
  • Health care: $10,476
  • Necessities: $7,389 (including apparel; personal care; household supplies, including furnishings and equipment, household operations, housekeeping supplies, and telephone services; reading materials, and school supplies.)

That leaves $3,218 in disposable income for college savings and quality-of-life expenses, such as entertainment, an occasional restaurant meal, tutors, dance/piano lessons, gifts, charity, and a family vacation.  

What should this family give up so that a few dozen CH-UH administrators can take in annual salary and benefits in excess of $150,000? 

Robert Shwab

Robert Shwab
Cleveland Heights

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Volume 13, Issue 3, Posted 9:52 AM, 02.28.2020