Sales tax and school plan

Choose Your Meeting

It's a competition for same-night crowds not seen in Iowa City since the great Liz Phair vs. Vanilla Ice concert battle of April 14, 1999: dueling meetings on hot topics.

The City Council is expected to make the sales tax election official. No big announcements from Team Yes, but Team No says it'll be there.

The School Board is voting on its plans for use of SILO sales tax money, and the draft version of the plan calls for closing the present Roosevelt School. The City Council, on a 4-3 vote last night, expressed its disapproval of the plan; there's a group organized on this issue as well.

UPDATE: Mayor Regenia Bailey writes:

To clarify—there WAS NOT consensus at Council’s Monday evening work session to send a letter of concern about the SFIP to the School Board. Therefore, at this time, no letter will be sent on the part of Council.

It is correct that there were four members of Council who were supportive of sending a letter, however, it was felt by some that there should be a consensus (rather than a vote) to send a strong unified message.

Making matters worse, these two meetings are also in competition with President Obama's speech tonight. We're not supposed to call it the State Of The Union but that's what it is. So choose your meeting, keep your remarks concise whatever you think (we need the conductor who cuts off the Oscar speeches), and get home.

(Oh, and back in `99 Liz drew a much larger crowd than Vanilla. Word to ya mother.)