I am responding to the recent editorial regarding the need for a new middle school. I am responding as an individual Kent County Board of Education (BOE) member, and this does not represent the BOE as a whole.
It’s been asserted that we can’t afford to invest in our public schools in Kent County; specifically, that we can’t afford a new middle school. Given that our aging population is steadily increasing and we are in desperate need for working age adults who rely on public schools to educate their children, I say we can’t afford not to.
Consider these statistics: In Kent County, the fastest growing age group from 2010-2022, increasing by 22.8% was with individuals 65+. At the same time, the age group that experienced the largest decline, individuals aged 35-49, decreased by 18.6%. The county has a high and growing need for healthcare services due to its older population. The average age of healthcare workers varies by profession, but physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners and other health professionals typically fall within the 25-54 age range.
Families who do the kind of work that our county needs, that our aging population especially needs, typically rely on public education. When some wealthy citizens are determined to focus only on the financial impact of investing in our public schools, they are tragically missing the forest for the trees. The almighty dollar can’t jump in an ambulance and come to your aid with specialized medical equipment and training. None of us can predict when illness or injury may strike and all of us would be grateful to the strong and able-bodied responder who meets us in our time of need. But if help is in short supply, then what?
If Kent County refuses to sow into our most valuable resource which is our children; we will continue to reap what we sow; and currently we are reaping a declining population. The demand for healthcare workers, and workers in general, already exceeds the supply and it’s only going to get worse if the strongest advocates in our county are primarily focused on self-preservation.
All the money in the world can’t instantly produce a qualified workforce. A locally based qualified workforce must be grown, and the bulk of that growth starts in our public schools. Why wouldn’t we do everything we can to attract working families so that the essential work needed in our county can be done?
The author of the recent editorial wrongly suggested that I’m locked into one solution for how investment in our public schools can happen. I have 10 years of experience advocating for funding at the state level for individuals for development disabilities. Funding decisions that involve local or state government rarely happen in isolation, and they certainly don’t happen overnight. My goal as a school board member is to continue to advocate for the best possible outcome for our most valuable resource (our children), to keep an open mind and work collaboratively with our funding partners until a solution is found.
It is my hope that others who care about the future of Kent County and the future of the services available to us, will see the long-term value of encouraging thoughtful economic growth which will naturally give us more resources to invest in our public schools. Again, concerned citizens of Kent County, please understand that we will continue to reap what we sow, one way or another. We are uniquely positioned to change the course of our county’s future for the better. Will we continue sowing into what ultimately results in the crippling of our workforce in Kent County driven by fear and self-preservation or will we sow into the needs that attract working families so that the needs of both the young and old are better met? The choice is ours.
In faithful commitment to seeing all our children achieve their greatest potential for their future and ours,
Laura McKenzie
4 Responses
Ms. McKenzie, you are so correct.
We will need more young people to provide health care and other services for our aging population, albeit, they’ll live in Kent County, DE.
What we see in our aging population is a lot of the retired folks from the really high real estate taxed and cost of living states, members of the PA Navy and NJ Navy, moving into Kent County, MD. They see sort of a windfall profit by moving from a state like NJ with an average real estate tax of about $9,000/yr, to Kent County, MD, with a real estate tax less than half that amount. Drive around the County and see all the NJ, PA, and DC license plates.
Affordable housing is a real issue here when young families take a look at a combined mortgage/real estate tax monthly payment, or rent payment that includes real estate taxes. Add on top the increases in, and creation of new, fees and taxes introduced by Annapolis Legislators to meet the State’s revenue requirements, well it is a tough monthly nut for everybody to meet. Example; next time your car registration renewal comes in, compare that Bill to what you paid previously. I’ll save you the time, it is double. Lest we forget no sales tax in DE. [Don’t know about you folks but my wife and I have a monthly Dover or Middletown shopping list we prepare.]
If you were able to take a crane and lift your home and the property it sits on, and move it east just 18 miles from let’s say Rte 213/291 in Chestertown to Kent County, DE, your real estate tax burden would be about 1/3 of what you are paying here. That’s a 20 minute drive to Chestertown. There are quite a few Kent County, MD, residents seriously thinking about, and looking into, moving to DE. And those homes when sold will be purchased by those ‘retired’ NJ and PA folks.
As a couple of number-crunching people have explained and presented as studies; Kent County, MD is in a Structural Deficit position, just like the State of Maryland. Moody’s lowered the Credit Rating of Maryland because of its Structural Deficit, stating the current and future expense of unfunded mandates, specifically identifying The Blueprint, are too much for the State’s revenue projections. Which means Maryland will have a higher interest rate on the Bonds/Loans/Mortgages debt burden it takes on. Well the same is true for Kent County, MD.
You and Mr. Queen are promoting a debt burden for Kent County, MD Taxpayers of $30,000,000.00 Municipal Bond Issue for 30 years, with an unknown loan interest rate, which will have the consequences of further burdening the young families you so clearly, dearly, and correctly state we will need.
At a County Budget meeting, our Finance office provided what the financial expense burden of The Blueprint will be to Kent County, MD, over its implementation period. That dollar amount computed to a Real Estate Tax Rate Increase of $0.38/$100 of Assessment added on to the current Real Estate Tax Rate.
No one has computed what the Real Estate Tax Rate Increase will be, yet, that the Kent County, MD, Taxpayer will be burden with to cover the payments of the $30,000,000.00 Municipal Bond/Loan/Mortgage Issue for 30 years you and Mr. Queen are promoting. [If you readers haven’t figured it out yet, a Municipal Bond is a fancy name for a loan/mortgage that Kent County, MD, Taxpayers will be responsible for making the payments on.] Albeit, determining the interest rate that would be applied to the Municipal Bond Issue/loan/mortgage, and therefore the full debt burden for KC, MD, Taxpayers, is a complex process with a lot of moving parts and up front expenses, not just the principal amount of the loan/mortgage. A Bond Issue is not a 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month process, but is one that would require a Referendum.
You combine the Real Estate Tax Rate increases necessary for The Blueprint implementation and Blueprint continuing expenses after implementation + the Kent County $30,000,000.00 Municipal Bond Issue for 30 years you and Mr. Queen are promoting + the normal increases in expenses to run Kent County, MD, well, we are looking at a future Real Estate Tax Rate increases, and burden to all residents of Kent County renters and home owners alike, young and old, of between 50% and 100%, + the increases in, and creation of new, fees and taxes introduced by Annapolis Legislators to meet the State’s revenue requirements
Frankly, your children will not able to afford to live here.
And, b-t-w, regards meaningful Economic Development, you, and readers, should very well remember my various narratives over the years on how that is not going to work out, given how Maryland is not business friendly. Business owners and decision making managers look at a state’s business friendliness well before deciding on a County or a Town.
For those interested, just do a search for ‘Best and Worst States for Business’, and you’ll see a few studies that rank Maryland right around the 40th worst state to move a business to, expand a business in, or start a new business.
Things have to change in Annapolis, and quickly, to make MD more business friendly, which then trickles down to Counties and Towns.
It’s so easy for you to say that MD isn’t “business-friendly,” but can you supply Spy readers with three reasons why you say so? What can “Annapolis” do to make MD “a friend to business”?
Actually, Gren, Gov. Wes Moore has said MD is not business friendly.
He signed an Exec Order, and proposed Legislation this past Gen Assy, to correct that.
Look at his Exec Order, and Legislation for the answers to your question.
I would have thought you would have known that already.