This is a followup to my previous letter of Feb. 2, published prior to the first vote on the Centralia School District (CSD) levy. I initially addressed two concerns.
• The two-year replacement levy was simply too expensive, representing a 57% increase over the current levy, and
• What little information provided by the CSD, in the form of budget language, was too vague to enable most voters in making an informed decision on levy.
Thankfully, voters who were already financially stressed said “no” in February. However, the newest advertisement for the levy remains basically unchanged, including the same misleading explanation of the levy "cost." All said, the CSD is still asking for a 57% increase over the current levy, while adding very few new details regarding how the money would be spent.
I’m both surprised and disappointed that the CSD still stands behind confusing language regarding the actual cost to voters. After numerous letters from citizens, as well as easily understood clarifications in the new voters’ guide, we still see statements like the following (taken verbatim from the current CSD website): “Centralia School District is asking voters to consider a two-year replacement levy at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for each of the two years, which is the same as the current levy tax rate.”
I’m going to address this again because, for some, this may be the only time they take notice of it. First, none of us paid $1.50 per thousand for the last levy, because it simply doesn’t work out that way. This reminds me of going to buy a car. I ask the salesperson to come down on the price and he says, “I can get the payment down by financing it for longer.”
Does that change the actual price of the car? Of course not. He just moved the numbers around. And likewise, estimating what the dollar per thousand of assessed value "might be” at a given time does not change the real price of this new levy.
Let me say this once more; if passed, we will all pay approximately 57% more in levy taxes, because the levy cost increases by that amount. The assessor will adjust the annual price per thousand by whatever amount necessary to ensure that $14.3 million is collected over two years.
At least the voter’s guide has a well written argument against the measure this time. This guide appears on one of the yellow pages included with your ballot (when you receive it). If you’d like to view the information now, Lewis County Elections has provided it online: https://bit.ly/3MACPeI
You’ll have to click on the “Arguments For and Against” link once you get to the page. I strongly encourage you to read the statements.
I’m cutting this short due to a 500-word limit. But you can expect another letter soon, describing the issues I found when researching and analyzing the latest CSD revisions to the levy budget expenditures. I thank you for your consideration and hope this helps you in making an informed decision.
Terry Overton
Centralia
