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In January, Lake Pend Oreille School District submitted its ballot language for the $25.4 million supplemental levy to the Bonner County Elections Office. The levy asks for $12.7 million a year for the next two years. This is the levy on which you’ll be asked to vote March 12.

The ballot, however, had to be held before going to the printer because of a major error: the annual levy amount was listed as $12,700,000,000. Yes, $12.7 billion.

This is not the first time LPOSD’s chief financial officer has had a problem with sloppy levy numbers. In 2016, the LPOSD $55 million facilities levy resolution had a percentage error, and the LPOSD $55 million levy brochure had multiple errors in the projected tax increase (listed as lower than true).

At $12,037 per month, CFO Lisa Hals makes a salary that vastly tops that of Idaho’s state controller, who manages the finances for the entire state, as opposed to Hals, who oversees a single school district budget. She is also among those LPOSD administrators who are the recipients of tens of thousands in annual bonuses for meeting performance goals which the public is not allowed to know.

Her salary and that of other highly paid LPOSD administrators are what is driving up budget and levy amounts, and we are definitely not getting what we’re paying for.

Please say “no” to the unbelievably high March 12 supplemental levy. Also google lposdlevy.com for more levy information.

DAVID BANNING

Clark Fork