In February I received five fliers from the Battle Ground school district asking voters to give them permission to reach into the pocket of property owners and grab 245 million dollars. Despite all their attempts to sway public opinion they lost. Another bond proposal looms and another flier showed up in my mailbox with one item in big bold letters “there will be a lower tax rate, even with the bond.” This is a blatant distortion and shows the lengths that are being taken to manipulate voters into supporting a proposal that was already on the ballot and lost. Yes, in 2019 there will be a small property tax reduction but only for 2019. What will happen in 2020 when the reduction ends? Can a guarantee be made that property taxes will remain at 2019 levels? It’s more likely that taxes will rise at astonishing levels. The same flier listed the cost of a myriad of projects. How do we as voters know that these figures reflect honestly the cost of these projects when any literature being given to the voting public is riddled with dubious promises and false information? I’ve never heard of or seen any public document that indicated if these projects were sent out for competitive bids. Maybe instead of 245 million dollars only a fraction of that amount is needed. Or here’s an idea: why can’t the school district actually make do with current funds? For those of you who have school age children and fallen for “do this for your kids” angle, think again. Consider how long it will take to pay off 245 million dollars plus interest. If this bond issue passes you will be sentencing your children and subsequent generations to decades of property tax increases. Is that really the legacy you want to pass on to your family? Families and small business owners that rent, get ready for the inevitable hefty rent fee increases every time property taxes go up. Before the February vote I attended one of the public meetings held by the school district and found it to be all flash and no substance, punctuated by gloom and doom rhetoric with opposing views being dismissed as lacking relevance. More a selling job than real information. Apparently, the voting public wasn’t buying it since that money grab went down in flames. if my house needs a new roof or any type of repair I don’t ask my neighbors to pay for it I have to find a way. I urge everyone to vote no on this bond issue. We should expect the Battle Ground School District to act responsible about fiscal matters and not to continually keep looking for a bailout from hard working families because they can’t or refuse to get their financial house in order. It’s time to send a message to the school district leadership — get the job done with what you have or step aside and let someone who can take over.
