PORT ANGELES — Voters in the Port Angeles School District will be asked in February to replace the current maintenance and operations tax levy with one that is 23 cents per $1,000 of property valuation more.
The School Board unanimously voted Monday night to seek the bigger levy to replace the current levy, which expires in December 2011.
“I hate asking for more during these times,” said board member Patti Happe, “but if we’re going to try and keep ourselves whole, I don’t see any other way.”
The board’s vote came on the heels of an announcement by business manager Jim Schwob, who told the board that Gov. Chris Gregoire had ordered across-the-board budget cuts from state agencies, including education.
The money isn’t expected to be restored next year, so the School Board is asking for the increased levy in a special all-mail election to be held Feb. 8.
The current levy supports 19.5 percent of the school district’s budget for day-to-day operations, filling the gap between state funding and actual expenses.
If the replacement levy is passed, it will support close to 24 percent of the budget, Schwob said.
“We could use the extra percent — we could put it to good use — but it just isn’t fair,” said board President Lonnie Linn.
The ballot measure will seek a four-year levy that would collect $8,178,067 in 2012, $8,300,738 in 2013, $8,425,249 in 2014 and $8,551,628 in 2015.
It would replace a four-year levy that will collect $7,439,312 in 2011, its final year.
If the replacement levy is approved, the school district estimates that the rate would be about $2.64 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2012.
That means the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $528 in property taxes from the levy.
“I’ve worked with the county assessor, because we really don’t want to overshoot,” Schwob said.
“We are anticipating a very slight increase in property values next year, and then a little bit more over the next few years.”
The levy asks voters to approve the total amount collected, not the tax rate.
If property assessments rise, the rate will decrease.
The replacement levy would collect about $33.5 million total over the four years.
Cuts by the Legislature to deal with the state’s budget problems coupled with declining enrollment in the Port Angeles district have led to nearly $2 million in cuts.
Betsy Wharton, a member of the Port Angeles Citizens for Education committee, spoke at Monday’s meeting to volunteer to co-chair the committee in support of the levy with insurance broker Steve Methner, husband of School Board member Sarah Methner.
“Should you choose to put this on the ballot, I, along with Steve Methner, will make sure it gets passed,” said Wharton, a former Port Angeles deputy mayor.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
