Steilacoom — On Feb. 9, 2010, voters will be asked to renew the Steilacoom Historical School District’s Maintenance and Operations Levy. Members of Concerned Citizens for Steilacoom School District ask for voters’ support for this levy renewal.
The good news about this year’s mail-in ballot election: Effective Jan. 1, 2010 all of DuPont’s tax base becomes part of Steilacoom Historical School District #1. This determination, set by the Puget Sound Educational Service District in 2003, means that homeowners within Steilacoom Historical School District #1 will see their levy taxes decrease in 2010 by approximately 14 percent. By using a mail-in ballot, the District saves the voters approximately $1,500 in election costs.
In 2006, when the last M&O levy was passed, the estimated rate was $2.59 per thousand of assessed property valuation. In 2010 that amount decreases to $2.20 per thousand of assessed property valuation. With the district now entering the fourth and final year of that levy, voters are being asked to decide to renew the levy for another four-year period.
This is not a new tax. It is a renewal only of the current levy. The rate for each of the next four years is estimated to be about the same or less than the low 2010 rate. Our estimated rate per thousand of assessed property valuation is one of the lowest rates in Pierce County.
A Maintenance and Operations Levy supports: textbooks and other teaching materials, special education and pupil services, maintenance, athletics, music, and other student activities, instructional technologies, staff training and professional development, and student transportation.
Learn more about this levy by attending one of the following community informational meetings:
- Anderson Island Citizens Advisory Board Meeting, 7 p.m., Jan. 8.
- DuPont Community Center, 303 Barksdale Ave., 7 p.m., Jan. 19.
- Steilacoom Town Hall, 1717 Lafayette St., 7 p.m., Jan. 21
To view more information via the Internet, please access www.SupportSHSDStudents.com
Thanks for your support.
Ellis St Clair says
Time for another Tea Party?
The voters of Dupont sent a message that was heard loud and clear…a resounding “NO” when it came to increased property taxes to support a Fire Levy. In fact, it had to be beat into the heads of the city fathers twice before they understood the meaning of the word “NO”. Now the Steilacoom School District is up to the same sort of shenanigans proposing a four year school levy that will increase taxes at a rate of 2.24 per $1,000 of assessed value for the collection year of 2010. There are currently two SD #1 Steilacoom Historical excess tax levies in effect that account for a whopping 5.111637 of your property tax bill liability. That comes to 1533.49 on that $300,000 house, that by the way is not worth that much anymore due to, doh, the economy. Before Northwest Landing became a major supplier of students to the district, the Steilacoom district went 18 yrs without voter approval of a school bond issue. Where, in times of severe economic downturn, with no signs of recovery, do the sponsors of these proposed levies get their logic from? This flawed, short bus mentality assumes taxpayers are willing to pay more when they are having trouble paying for the necessities of food, clothing and the roof over their head. But still, we see the same flag-wavers on the corners and winter yards growing signs to persuade you to support a tax levy just because it has “educational” stamped on it. Or that it is merely a ‘replacement levy’ to cover and expiring tax, and that alones somehow justifies it. Well, if that is the way you look at it, maybe its time for a tax break. How are residents that don’t have students attending these schools going to benefit from new taxes. Have a bake sale, volunteer, take responsibility for your own children and donate to their schools, but don’t ask for more taxes. We got rid of a few firemen, now its time to place a few teachers on the bus with our “NO” vote on this issue.