Davis School Board put off tax increase decision due to public response
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Wednesday, August 8, 2007
By Loretta Park
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
lpark@standard.net
Web only: FARMINGTON -- The Davis School Board voted Tuesday to wait until its next meeting to decide if it will impose tax increases after listening to almost two hours of comments from residents.
The school board meeting was packed with more than 100 residents wanting answers to why their property taxes are increasing and what the school district is doing with the money it receives.
Bountiful City Manager Tom Hardy was one of the last speakers. He requested the school board delay its action until city officials had time to talk to county officials.
School board member William Moore motioned that the board wait until Aug. 21 to make its final decision on the tax increases and the budget for 2007-2008.
Assistant Superintendent Bruce Williams said the increase means a $35 increase per year on a $210,000 home.
But most residents have seen a substantial increase on property taxes, including the district's portion because of reappraisals done this year by the county assessor's office.
Hardy said he and others believe Bountiful, west Kaysville and Centerville were unfairly singled out for reappraisals.
"Overall Bountiful is receiving a huge increase," Hardy said.
The city expects 30 percent increase from the reappraisals, but it is all coming from homeowners, not from commercial properties, he said.
Hardy said the tax increase overall for many Bountiful residents are above 50 percent.
The south end would pay more than the north end of the county to the school district, the county, mosquito abatement and the Davis County Library, he said, which was received with several loud boos from the audience.
Hardy was not the only one at the school board's truth in taxation hearing voicing concerns over the increased taxes.
Joyce Winters of Kaysville, who is retired and a former educator, said she and her husband cannot afford the increase the school district is asking for.
"Where is the money going to come from?" Winters said.
She also received applause when she said it was time for Utahns to consider what California residents did when they passed Proposition 13.
At times it got a loud as those in the meeting disagreed with school board members.
"I did not allow my students to speak out and I'm not going to allow you to speak out," said School Board President Marian Storey, when a few shouted demanding answers on where the increases from the appraisals were going to go.
Williams said if the school district approves the increase in four separate tax levies, the district would receive an additional $3.5 million from the state in guaranteed funds. Those funds would go fund class-size reduction, reading programs for kindergarten through third grade, general school supplies and to fund hazardous bus routes.
The school district is proposing an overall budget of $557 million, which is the largest budget in its history, officials said. The district plans to spend 11 percent more next year on teachers' salaries than last year, which is not an overall increase for teachers. Some of that increase will go toward hiring new teachers for the three new schools which will open this fall. Some of that increase was mandated by the legislature this year.
The district also plans to spend more for operation costs this year than last because of the new schools and increased cost in energy and fuels.
But residents asked school board members to look at its budget and find ways to cut it.
Williams said the district's budget is a public document and is available at the district office for anyone to review.
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