Reasons to vote NO on the April 23rd 2024 school district enrichment levy tax measures in Washington State
First a friendly reminder:
First half of property taxes are due April 30th, 2024
The myth of the underpaid school district staff. Some school district superintendents collect more than $400,000 (and a few more than $500,000) in annual compensation regardless of the poverty level in their districts. They collect more than double the governor's compensation.
The myth of equitable funding and spending by school districts.
The myth that school district area taxpayers are taxed fairly to provide teachers with equitable compensations. Some teachers' unions, who think they are more equal than others, have "negotiated" annual compensations above $140,000 (and a few more than $150,000) for 10 months of work - on the backs of local taxpayers.
These "Enrichment" levies (that most districts usually incorrectly call "replacement" EP&O Levies) are anti-McCleary, inflation causing, and excessive. They lead to inequitable funding among school districts across the state which led to the McCleary Decision in the first place. And these measures contribute to taxing hardworking people out of their homes and making homeownership further out of reach for young families.
There should be no tax measures for the low voter turnout February and April elections. Tax measures should only be run in the higher participatory elections of November.
WA legislators at least need to enact a TILA (Truth In Lending Act) type of law to provide voters/taxpayers with accurate cost impacts. School district developed cost impact analyses are usually illogical, are mathematically incorrect, and underestimate the taxpayer cost impact. County assessors, using sound accounting principles, should be tasked with developing logical, cost impact calculators for property owners and renters.
Almost all school districts' campaign materials convey the incorrect notion that taxpayers are voting on future rates. Voters/taxpayers are voting on amounts in dollars. See the next link for an interactive calculator that can illustrate how future guesstimated tax rates are meaningless.
Toledo SD Enrichment Levy Example
Another blatant conflict of interest is that WA school districts are charged (by State statute) with advertising for, finding, and selecting pro AND con committee members for the local voters' pamphlets (LVP) for their own measures! These school districts always seem to find plenty of pro committee members (usually paid staff or PTA officers) but they rarely find a single con committee member. Up to 3 people are supposed to be on each committee. Then at the last minute, the respective county elections department reps need to try to find con committee volunteers - and they usually fail. Citizens are rarely made aware of the opportunity to present the contrarian view. WA State legislators need to correct this obvious obstacle to providing voters with both sides of the issues - a fundamental principle of our democracy. County auditors should be tasked with finding con committee members (if not pro committee members too) early on with enough time and sufficient cost information to find committee volunteers.