Two Mounds View residents sue to block school levy

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Two residents of the Mounds View School District filed a lawsuit Friday that seeks to stop a Tuesday levy referendum.

Mark Strong and Marleen Smith of Shoreview claim the district, which is asking for $6.8 million a year through a property tax levy, hasn't given clear information to voters.

The lawsuit was filed in Ramsey County District Court. On Monday, a judge is set to consider a request for a temporary restraining order that could delay or cancel the referendum.

The school district refutes the claims and expects the election to go forward, said Karen Janisch, an attorney representing Mounds View schools.

"We don't believe the assertions and claims made have merit," she said.

Strong and Smith argue the district's required notice doesn't fully distinguish between the tax impact of the levy and a property tax cut enacted by the state. They said the district notice doesn't clearly identify the percentage of a tax cut residents would see without the levy.

"By blending the numbers together, it's clear the district is trying to obscure the effect of the proposed levy," Strong said in a news release.

The lawsuit came a day after the Taxpayers League of Minnesota asked Ramsey County prosecutors to investigate the district's actions, including whether a newsletter sent home with students broke laws dealing with campaign literature.