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| August 24, 2016 1:00 AM

There seems to be a lot of concern about the price tag on the upcoming levy. $55M over six years is a lot of money and yes, there is no denying that it will impact property taxes. It is, however, long overdue. This is a situation that has been many years in the making, and we are the community of citizens that is being asked to change the pattern. The state of Idaho contributes no state dollars to the upkeep of school buildings, leaving it to the community members to maintain. The maintenance costs for these old schools becomes more cost prohibitive every year. We are putting good money into a downward spiraling situation.

We are one of only 15 percent of school districts in Idaho that has not had a facility levy or bond this past year. In fact, in the past 65 years, we have passed only three facility bond/levy: one in 1951, one in 1984 and a minor one in 2008. As property owners, we have not done our due diligence in maintaining our education structures.

So, what are the consequences if we fail to pass this levy? We will continue to have crumbling schools. We will continue to have higher maintenance expenses, increasing each year. Construction costs increase by 4.5 percent each year — you do the math…

Good schools benefit everyone: children, families, educators, and business owners. We all benefit from living and working in a thriving and healthy community! It is time to address this vital situation and vote “yes” for this levy.

JIM LEWIS

Sagle