Issue with school levies

17th-century French Finance Minister Jean Baptiste Colbert is generally credited with the quote about taxation: “The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing”

When the McCleary decision was finally implemented, due to the fact that property taxes would be rising to support increased State funding, a cap of $1.50 per $1000 valuation was negotiated by the legislature.In 2019 our state school superintendents endorsed and supported an increase in this lid to $2.50 per $1000.

Two years ago the Spokane School District awarded its school teachers a 13.3% pay raise, pushing many into the 100k salary range. To no surprise, these raises caused a cutback in personnel and services, which now must be serviced with the higher levy rate. Your taxes are going to be going up higher, especially now with housing prices soaring and increased valuations.

Nine Mile Falls District is also going for the maximum rate of $2.50 per $1,000.

Public employees have been largely shielded from the economic effects of the pandemic. This disconnect may have to do with reality that other people are hurting. Loss of jobs, businesses bankrupting, people struggling to put food on the table, living paycheck to paycheck if they are even lucky enough to have one.

It wouldn’t surprise me if there isn’t a little more hissing about this come February.

Mike Ryan

Nine Mile Falls