Tax proposal at Wheaton met with angry reactions
Kiki Reginato '12 / Copy Editor
Issue date: 3/3/10 Section: News
A proposal to charge a one percent "higher education tax" has been put on the docket for discussion at the annual Norton town hall meeting that will take place on May 10.
The petition was championed by Norton resident John Freeman who says, by his calculations, Wheaton would pay $766,000 the first year.
"If business is bad and the number of students goes down, their tax bill will go down," he said.
In a letter to the campus community President Crutcher said, "Last fall, Pittsburgh briefly considered taxing college
and university tuition as a means to close the city's budget deficit. That measure, which was withdrawn after it failed to find support, reflects the fact that our communities face the same economic difficulties that affect us as individuals and organizations."
The Pittsburgh higher educationtax also faced legal obstacles, as does the proposal in Norton: Wheaton is a non-profit institution, meaning it is exempt from certain taxes. Wheaton still does pay taxes to the Norton community on property that does not house students. Last year Wheaton paid $112,000 in taxes to Norton.
Wheaton College Communications Director Mike Graca stressed all that the school has done for the Norton community saying, "According to [the Office of Service, Spirituality and Social Responsibility], in 2008- 2009, last year, Wheaton students faculty and staff contributed over 12,000 hours of community service to Norton and our surrounding
communities."
Other benefits that the residents
of Norton get from Wheaton College include, use of the Wheaton library and the teaching assistance of Wheaton students at surrounding schools.
Recently, campus health officials along with students on campus got involved with local high school students and the Norton Fire Department to help train people to perform CPR in the event someone has a heart attack. As a result, both Wheaton students and Norton residents are able to receive this training, both have been declared Heart Safe Communities.
"Norton wouldn't have achieved this if Wheaton wasn't a partner. We improved quality of life for everyone," said Graca of the heart safe program "The Norton High School track team during the winter uses our indoor facility and Norton High School and Mansfield High School both use our pool. There are a lot of ways people in town use our facilities. People in town can take classes in the town for credit for a much reduced rate, I think it is about $150."
SGA President Gabe Amo'10 said of imposing the tax on Wheaton, "it seems unlikely that it will happen and it would be so unfair to our students if it did."
One student voiced anger at the idea of the proposed tax. "I feel like we are already so squeezed for money and resources here," said Clarissa Wong '12. "This tax [would be] just an additional expense."
The petition was championed by Norton resident John Freeman who says, by his calculations, Wheaton would pay $766,000 the first year.
"If business is bad and the number of students goes down, their tax bill will go down," he said.
In a letter to the campus community President Crutcher said, "Last fall, Pittsburgh briefly considered taxing college
and university tuition as a means to close the city's budget deficit. That measure, which was withdrawn after it failed to find support, reflects the fact that our communities face the same economic difficulties that affect us as individuals and organizations."
The Pittsburgh higher educationtax also faced legal obstacles, as does the proposal in Norton: Wheaton is a non-profit institution, meaning it is exempt from certain taxes. Wheaton still does pay taxes to the Norton community on property that does not house students. Last year Wheaton paid $112,000 in taxes to Norton.
Wheaton College Communications Director Mike Graca stressed all that the school has done for the Norton community saying, "According to [the Office of Service, Spirituality and Social Responsibility], in 2008- 2009, last year, Wheaton students faculty and staff contributed over 12,000 hours of community service to Norton and our surrounding
communities."
Other benefits that the residents
of Norton get from Wheaton College include, use of the Wheaton library and the teaching assistance of Wheaton students at surrounding schools.
Recently, campus health officials along with students on campus got involved with local high school students and the Norton Fire Department to help train people to perform CPR in the event someone has a heart attack. As a result, both Wheaton students and Norton residents are able to receive this training, both have been declared Heart Safe Communities.
"Norton wouldn't have achieved this if Wheaton wasn't a partner. We improved quality of life for everyone," said Graca of the heart safe program "The Norton High School track team during the winter uses our indoor facility and Norton High School and Mansfield High School both use our pool. There are a lot of ways people in town use our facilities. People in town can take classes in the town for credit for a much reduced rate, I think it is about $150."
SGA President Gabe Amo'10 said of imposing the tax on Wheaton, "it seems unlikely that it will happen and it would be so unfair to our students if it did."
One student voiced anger at the idea of the proposed tax. "I feel like we are already so squeezed for money and resources here," said Clarissa Wong '12. "This tax [would be] just an additional expense."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Andy Lounder
posted 3/04/10 @ 9:52 AM EST
I don't see Wheaton ever being required to pay local taxes, unless some larger institution was to set legal precedent through the judicial process. That's a long way off. (Continued…)
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