Cda Board Backs Support Services Building Will Be Paid For With Savings Rather Than A Tax Increase

The Coeur d’Alene School District is going ahead with its plan to build a $1.5 million support services building, to be paid for with savings rather than a tax increase.

The board of trustees voted 3 to 1 Monday night to seek a judge’s OK for the plan.

“It’s pretty tough to argue against saving money,” said board member Tim Olson in making the motion to proceed.

Edie Brooks and Herb Cheeley voted in favor; Vernon Newby was absent on school board business.

Board chairwoman Wanda Quinn cast the only “no” vote. She favors the plan, but expressed concern that more time was needed to explain it to the public.

“If we wait, the cost is going to go up,” argued Brooks.

The district will now ask a judge to declare the planned building an ordinary and necessary expense. Although “judicial validation” is most often used to raise taxes without voter approval, that would not happen in this case, district officials say.

The building would include a bus facility, food storage area, maintenance shop and administrative offices. It would be paid for with the sale of the existing bus barn, money now spent on rent of separate buildings, savings on bulk food purchases, and other efficiencies, officials said.

The board’s biggest concern is that voters will see judicial validation simply as a way to avoid their approval, and will take their anger out at the polls when the district next proposes a tax increase to build a new school.

Quinn suggested the matter be put to a public vote, but board members decided an advisory vote would be too expensive.

A bond election would require a two-thirds majority for approval, which is difficult to get and would obligate taxpayers to pay off the bond if the anticipated cost savings didn’t materialize.

Monday’s hearing was the second on the proposal. At the first, a majority of people spoke against it.

This time, of the four persons who testified, attorney Malcolm Dymkoski was the only one opposed. He predicted the district would be sued if board members sought judicial validation.

“You’re going to have a royally angry bunch of citizens out there who will think you did an end run around them,” Dymkoski said.

Concerned Businesses of North Idaho, however, endorsed the proposal.

“Our organization is not only excited about the merits of the proposal and its obvious cost savings, but we think it’s good for the taxpayers,” said Steve Judy, the group’s executive director.

The district estimates it can save $95,426 annually with the new facility.

Judy agreed that’s a conservative estimate. The annual payment on the 20-year, $1.1 million bond would be $87,572.

The district sent surveys to the homes of its 8,500 students, and published one in the newspaper. Of 96 returned, 75 favored the proposal.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S NEXT? The district will now ask a judge to declare the planned building an ordinary and necessary expense.