26 February 2018 — 1531 mst

Memo to School District 5: cut spending, do not raise taxes

Kalispell’s School District 5 says it needs to make up a million-dollar, or more, budget shortfall, and may ask voters to approve a levy or levies this spring. According to the InterLake, the owner of a $200,000 house could suffer a tax increase of approximately $100.

Suffer is the right word. Thanks to reassessment and the current binge of school building that included a gold-plated football field, local property taxes shot up 10–30 percent last year. The incomes of most taxpayers did not rise accordingly, leaving them with less money for the necessities of life.

Now the education cartel wants to take more of our money.

Forget doing that. Food and other necessities cost more these days. I’m tightening my belt. The school district can do the same. Cut football. Sell the Au football field. Hell, cut all sports. Lay off teachers and administrators. Increase the number of students per classroom. Shorten the school year. Bite the bullet, just like the rest of us. But don’t ask for another property tax increase. I won’t vote for it.