Local voters on Tuesday will decide the fate of several property tax ballot issues to help fund everything from schools to libraries to fire protection.
In one unusual case, the school district with the bond issue on the ballot is telling voters it doesn't need the money.
Pocatello-Chubbuck School District voters will notice that their election ballot includes a $33 million bond to renovate fire-damaged Highland High School.
But the district said those funds are no longer needed because after the Highland bond was placed on the ballot the state passed legislation, House Bill 521, to provide funding needed to repair the school.
“Now that HB 521 is law we can add clarity for our community members and say, ‘thank you,’ but we are not asking community members to vote for the bond anymore,” said Deanna Judy, Pocatello-Chubbuck school board chair. “The funding provided by HB 521 will fulfill our purpose to rebuild Highland High School.”
In the event that voters provide the super majority support needed to pass the Highland bond, the district said it would not issue the bonds for the funding.
The district said with the timing of Gov. Brad Little signing House Bill 521 into law in late March, the school board missed the deadline to remove the Highland bond from the ballot.
The story is different regarding several other local school districts asking for voter support of supplemental levies on Tuesday. These districts are hoping that voters approve the funding needed to in most cases essentially continue operating local schools at present budgetary levels.
The American Falls School District is asking for voters there to approve a $2.75 million annual supplemental levy. The levy is for two years and will replace the current levy when it expires next year. The annual tax impact of both levies is the same — $205 per $100,000 of taxable property valuation.
The levy will help fund teacher and staff salaries and benefits, school resource officers and safety expenses, as well as school supplies and technology.
The Snake River School District is asking voters to approve a $700,000 annual levy that would take effect next year when the current levy expires.
The annual tax impact of both levies is the same – $85 per $100,000 of taxable property valuation.
The proposed levy would be for two years and would help the district pay for a wide variety of operational and maintenance costs including teacher and staff support, recruitment, retention and benefits; curriculum and technology; student and staff safety, security systems and school resource officers; literacy interventions and all-day kindergarten; and extra-curricular activities such as music, drama, FFA and athletics.
The Bear Lake School District is asking voters there to approve a $1.5 million annual supplemental levy that will mostly be funded by the state. During each year of the two-year levy, local taxpayers will only pay $650,000 of the $1.5 million with the remaining $850,000 being paid for by the state if the levy is approved by voters, the district stated.
The funding from the levy will be used by the Bear Lake School District to maintain current budget levels for maintenance, technology, custodial, safety and extra-curricular activity expenses.
The proposed levy will cost Bear Lake School District property owners less than $34 annually per $100,000 of taxable property valuation. The proposed levy would replace the current levy that will expire on June 30, 2025.
The Grace School District is asking voters to approve an annual $500,000 supplemental levy on May 21. This is an increase of $50,000 each year, though the tax impact of the levy will decrease for taxpayers, the district said. The levy will cost each district property owner $187 annually per $100,000 of taxable property valuation, which is $4 less than the current levy that expires next year.
The new levy would take effect in 2026 and continue for two years. The funds from the levy will be used by the district for salaries and benefits; curriculum and classroom technology and supplies; and maintenance and transportation.
The Soda Springs School District is asking voters there to approve a $993,000 one-year levy that will be used to pay teacher and staff salaries and benefits, provide funding for a school resource officer, and cover other costs associated with operating the district’s schools.
If approved by the district’s voters, the proposed supplemental levy will go into effect on July 1 and replace the district’s current $698,000 levy.
The annual tax impact of the proposed levy would be $75.01 per $100,000 of taxable property valuation compared to the current levy’s annual tax impact of $52.59 per $100,000 of taxable property valuation.
In Bannock County, voters will be asked to support a local library system and fire protection district.
The South Bannock Library District is asking voters to support renewing its approximately $101,000 annual plant facilities reserve fund levy for another 10 years. The current levy, for the same amount, expires next year. The library district uses the levy funds to renovate and construct library buildings.
The levy's annual tax impact is $7.47 per $100,000 of taxable property valuation.
The Pocatello Valley Fire Protection District is asking voters to permanently allow it to increase its annual budget, starting next year, by $52,000. This would give the district an annual budget of about $121,400.
The district would use the extra funds to purchase a fire engine and other equipment as well as for maintenance, operations and repairs.
If approved by voters, the tax impact of the extra funds would be $17.77 annually per $100,000 of taxable property valuation.
In Bingham County, a cemetery district is also hoping to permanently increase its property tax levy.
The Moreland Cemetery District is asking voters to increase its annual property tax levy by $35,000 for cemetery maintenance and operations including new irrigation systems, new plots, new roads, new fences and new grass. The annual tax impact of the extra funds would be $11.37 per $100,000 of taxable property valuation.
The levy increase would take effect in October.
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