Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Kuna supplemental levy election will be May 17

Did you read the letter to the editor in the Press-Tribune, saying the Vallivue supplemental levy passed because no one knew about it and that the local newspaper was complicit by not informing readers about it?
Well, the paper did publish stories about it, but I never want anyone accusing the Kuna Melba News of not providing enough coverage of an important issue.
At the last supplemental levy election, in May 2009, someone came into our office saying that the election was kept a secret — even though we had put it on the front page multiple times and wrote several stories about it leading up to the election.
Well, we're doing it again. It was on our front page March 9, just one day after school board members decided to put the measure on the May 17 ballot. We ran another version of the story this week, and we'll keep providing information leading up to the election. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Voters in the Kuna school district will vote May 17 on a two-year $1.5 million per year supplemental levy.
Voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. Polling places have not yet been finalized.
A simple majority is required for passage.
Kuna school board members voted unanimously to put the measure on the ballot. District officials have said the money is needed to help plug projected funding shortfalls from the state. District officials have estimated next year’s shortfall to be about $1.95 million.
If approved, the $1.5 million levy would cost a property owner within the Kuna school district about $156 per $100,000 of taxable value.
The Kuna school district currently operates with a $1.1 million supplemental levy that was approved by voters two years ago and expires this year. The estimated cost of continuing the $1.1 million levy is $114 per $100,000 of taxable value.

1 comment:

Courtney said...

Does the Kuna School District plan on proposing a supplemental levy every 2 years?? What steps-if any have they taken to become self sufficient at some point?