SPOKANE, Wash. — Many school districts in Spokane County are proposing new bonds and levies in the February 13th special election.
Greater Spokane Incorporated held this rally in downtown Spokane to discuss the possible effects of these bonds and levies on the school districts.
Alisha Benson, the CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI), says that investing in Spokane schools improves the entire community.
“were really the intersection between business and education, and working with employers and schools to create experiences for kids, so they can get exposed to the incredible jobs go to school get educated, and then come back and work in our economy,” Benson said.
13 different districts throughout Spokane County have levies on their upcoming ballots. The money raised from levies goes to extracurricular items such as athletics and other school programs. At the same time, bonds are used for maintenance and remodel of school buildings.
Those opposed to these measures believe greater transparency is needed before more money is put into the Spokane public school. Spokane County resident Jay Scott, who will be voting on the Mead School District levy, believes the tax burden has become too difficult for some to bear.
“There are a lot of people in this area, and there is not a lot of industry, so it’s a lot of retired people. People on fixed incomes, and when you start levying taxes on their property, you are going to price a lot of people out of their homes that they have lived in for years,” Scott said.
When a levy is voted on, residents are taxed based on an assessed property value. If the property value goes up during the levy’s lifespan, the tax does not increase with it. The tax rate would be adjusted downward so that the same amount of money is collected every year for the levy.
Many in attendance today, including Kris Jeske, see this as an opportunity to invest in not only in students, but in the community as a whole.
“Strong schools support strong communities. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to support our kids, the parents, the communities, and our businesses. We all prosper if we have a strong education system,” Jeske said.
The ballots containing these proposed bonds and levies have been mailed to voters’ homes and must be placed in drop boxes or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Feb. 13th.
