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Davis School Board approves budget after truth-in-taxation hearing

By Harrison Epstein - | Aug 16, 2021

Image supplied, Davis School District

Davis School District logo

FARMINGTON — The Davis School Board of Education voted to approve the annual budget, including a property tax increase, during a truth-in-taxation hearing held on Aug. 3. According to Craig Carter, business administrator for the Davis School District, the raising of taxes will lead to an additional $7.8 million being doled out by the state to the district.

School board member Cheryl Phipps said she would vote against the year’s budget because of the state’s positioning for areas, like the Davis School District, that have higher property and income taxes.

“I have a problem until we work on equalizing property taxes the way we have equalized income taxes that I feel that our district does pay — and our constituents — does pay well into the funding of education,” Phipps said. She added that she feels as if there’s pressure from the Legislature to “step up” and spend more on education. Phipps was the only member of the board to vote in opposition.

While board President John Robison agreed with her sentiment in regard to the Legislature, he pointed out the need for focus on the students.

In the presentation to the board, Carter said that the money would go to educators directly — $6.5 million to be delivered in $1,500 increments to teachers past the three-year probationary period and $1.3 million for a 5% increase in employee salaries.

A notice sent to the public says the district is looking to increase the tax burden on a $403,000 home, the average cost of one in the area, by an additional $183.74 per year. This comes on the heels of the 2015 bond expiring and the district’s decision to not seek another bond. Because of this, Carter told the board, the debt service levy fell $122.79 per year. This means there will be a net increase of $60.95 for someone owning a home worth $403,000.

The public hearing portion of the meeting took approximately two hours, with speakers capped at three minutes per person. A significant number of the community members who spoke during the meeting were against the proposed increase. Most used their time to rail against the school board, and the district, for what they believed to be financial mismanagement.

Repeatedly, these speakers argued against COVID-19 restrictions, arguing that the time spent deciding, and re-deciding, rules and guidelines was a waste of taxpayer funds.

Kelly Jones, a parent in the district, spoke in favor of the tax increase. “I want to invest in an education that invests in students in these important ways. As a teacher, I also know how hard teachers work and I want to commend the job that they have done, that you (the board) have done over this last year,” Jones said. “I think if there’s a way to show that gratitude to our teachers, we should absolutely do it.” Jones added that she would want to see members of the school community trained in suicide prevention using some of the increased revenue.

Others raised worries on having a tax increase coming out of precipitous financial situations caused by COVID-19. Several seniors living on fixed incomes were concerned with increased taxes on raised property values from which they do not immediately benefit.

“The last thing we want to see is to see our constituency members suffer. But the reality of it is, because of the system that we’re living in, … we can either do the kinds of things that we’re required to do right now to stay in a competitive situation with our teachers, stay in a competitive situation with what we can offer those kids,” Robison said. “So I think it has to be two things: Number one, I think we have to continue to support the increase that allows us to get the funding from the state. Secondly, … we need to continue to work with our legislators to try to get the changes made that we’re talking about.”

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