Levy will hurt already struggling taxpayers

Dear Lake Pend Oreille School District:

I reviewed your Facility Master Plan information. I can see that there may be a need for some building improvements to various schools in the county. I am disappointed that some of these buildings have been neglected for so long that it now requires massive spending to improve these conditions. Your intention to spend $55-plus million taxpayer dollars over the next six years is a large financial imposition and will have a direct effect on those already struggling with inflation, with lower income taxpayers being hurt the most.

I am completely opposed to new sports facilities including new soccer, baseball, and football fields. There are numerous areas for fields, which are currently in use — yet you propose to destroy the newest baseball/soccer field for another one. Sports programs need to have the majority of their funding by the participants, families and supporters.

The future in educating the youth of America needs to evolve towards Internet online classes. This would save tens of millions in operating costs as well as capital expenditures costs. For those in more remote areas of the county without Internet access, modest facilities could be erected by local contractors, in various locations, to provide adequate space for learning. This would relieve some of the burden upon the taxpayer.

I did not notice any reference made in your study about the effect upon the county’s retirement community, who are paying their property taxes on fixed incomes. There did not seem to be any mention of the enormous burden your levy will place on them. Let’s not forget all the low income families, the less fortunate and welfare recipients living among us whom the taxpayers already support. I would hope that you are aware that landlords in this county will raise their rents to cover these very large tax increases, which will fall onto their tenants who may already be struggling with the high cost of rent. Does it matter to you if your levy creates a hardship for many, for the few amount of children attending school?

My question to you is, why have you decided not to pursue the method of getting “bond” loans at very low interest rates to fund this project? This type of loan would considerably lessen the yearly tax liability for the people of this county.

I think it is important that all Bonner County taxpayers be notified by mailed flyers, of your proposal to ensure they understand what you are proposing and include a tax rate chart, so there are no surprises. The working class may be too busy to see your plans in the Daily Bee and miss even knowing about a school levy. Included in your flyer, clarify your tax chart, which does not seem to define what the supplemental levy or the plant levy are.

Property values are once again being scrutinized by the assessor’s office. This could give rise to more raised taxes, which could leave the door open for collecting more taxes based on future assessments — or will your posted tax rates be based on 2015-16 valuations? That needs clarification as well. There is rumor that after this levy, another one follows. This information needs to be disclosed in the flyer as well.

I am not alone in seeing that the economy is not as robust as our controlled media would like us to believe it is. As a business owner I am all too aware of a much slower economy. I also question why the voting date was scheduled for Aug. 30? That is Labor Day weekend, a weekend of transition when taxpayers may be involved in “end of summer” vacations. I would think that after school starts in mid-September or in November at election time, would be a more favorable time for taxpayers to vote for this proposed levy.

I have mentioned this levy to people who have not heard anything about it. Why is that? By design or happenstance? For a levy this monumental, I would expect that the LPOSD be respectful of taxpayers by maximizing the effort to publicize this proposal, which would ensure that tax paying residents and property owners are informed of this levy. Writing an article in the Daily Bee does not suffice. Flyers should be sent to every taxpayer in this county to notify them of your proposal to increase their taxes.

In closing, I oppose your proposal as it is written, for this school levy.

STEVE FRYE

Sandpoint