The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Back on February 28, I predicted that the Warrensburg R-VI school board would run a stealth campaign for their levy increase. I was correct. It took fewer than 1000 voters to raise the taxes on everybody in the district. You can bet that 990 voters was almost the totality of support for the tax, while the 848 NO votes included just those who realized the election was being held. The actual support for the issue was probably around 10% of the registered voters. Over 80% didn’t vote.

What did this 10% of the voters do for the rest of us? If you own a house assessed at $100,000, you’ll pay an extra $50. If you own farmland assessed at $200,000 you’ll pay an extra $100. If your car is worth $10,000 you’ll pay more personal property tax so you can register the car next year. If you’re a renter, expect your landlord to raise the rent. Remember, for every $10 in additional tax you pay to the R-VI district, you’ll also pay up to $6 to the ambulance district. This adds up fast.

If you are one of the 10% who succeeded in raising everyone’s taxes, congratulations. If you’re one of the people who will have to make sacrifices to meet your increased property taxes despite your vote against the issue, my sympathies. If you ignored the election, don’t complain to your County Collector when you pay your much-elevated taxes this December.

I’m sure your inaction will result in much improved government schools. After all, it’s “for the children.”