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State Budget Proposal Could Cost Mason City Schools—and You—More

At first glance, a provision in the state’s proposed budget may sound like property tax relief. But for communities like ours, it could have the opposite effect—forcing Mason City Schools to ask for more money, more often.

Tucked into House Bill 96 is a proposal that caps school district cash reserves at 30% of annual spending. Any amount over that would be taken from districts like Mason, despite being from voter-approved levies. If passed, this would mean Mason forfeiting over $18.5 million—nearly one-third of our reserves.

This creates a serious problem. We made a promise to our voters in 2020 to stay off the ballot for at least five years and to invest in Mason Quality people and programs—and we’ve kept that promise. But this legislation could undo that commitment - jeopardizing staffing, student programs, and financial stability. The state’s funding model expects districts to build reserves early in the levy cycle and draw them down over time. That’s exactly what we’ve done—strategically and transparently.

This is not tax relief—it’s a tax shift.
It undermines local control, penalizes responsible planning, and ultimately forces higher costs on the very communities it claims to help.

Take Action: Help Protect Mason Schools

Please contact legislators today and respectfully urge them to remove the “cash reserve cap” from House Bill 96. Let them know:
✅ This is a tax increase in disguise. It will force schools to ask taxpayers for more money more often.
✅ Schools shouldn’t be punished for saving responsibly. This proposal weakens—not strengthens—fiscal responsibility.
✅ This takes away local control; hurting our schools and community. 

Senate President Sen. Rob McColley: (614) 466-8150 | [email protected]

Sen. Andrew Brenner (Senate Education Chair): (614) 466-8086 | [email protected]

Sen. Steve Wilson (Mason area): (614) 466-9737 | [email protected]

Speaker of the House Rep. Matt Huffman: (614) 466-6344 | [email protected]

Rep. Adam Mathews (Mason area): (614) 644-6023 | [email protected]