District must operate effectively without levy

That "black hole" of property tax extraction is back with propaganda is full swing for a March supplemental property tax levy. A Lake Pend Oreille School District board member has stated that a "four-day week is not an option." Apparently the attitude is let's not do what is necessary to operate as economically as possible but just go to our "money tree," Bonner County property owners, and extract some more taxes.

Other Idaho school districts have avoided supplemental property tax levies by successfully operating with four-day weeks with no reduction in education quality. Our neighbor, Boundary County, has and it is reported as working quite well and favored by most Boundary County residents.

Consider that levies are based on property assessments. Currently most of us in Bonner County are under erroneously inflated assessments imposed on us by the state in response to former county commissioners' knee-jerk 2005 rollback attempt. Our new assessor is working to correct this intolerable situation and previous inaccurate county assessment methods. He hopes to give us fair and accurate assessments in 2007. No levies from any taxing authority/district should be approved against current inaccurate and unfair assessment or until that happens.

A rejection of the proposed March levy would force LPOSD to find a way to operate in a more cost effective manner, perhaps with a four-day week and would allow property owners to evaluate any future levies against hopefully fair and accurate property tax assessments.

Vote no in March.

PHIL POUTRE

Cocolalla