Taxpayers respond to Nampa school levy proposal

CREATED Jan. 16, 2013

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  • Taxpayers say levy needs explanation. Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com

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Nampa taxpayers are responding to the school district's proposal to float a four point three million dollar supplemental levy.
And they're not too happy with it.
Partly because it's confusing.


We're On Your Side with a closer look at the levy and the response to it.
Even supporters are not happy about the supplemental levy.


"I think it's everyone's responsibility to educate kids even if it makes taxes go up," says one taxpayer who gave only her first name, Linda, adding, "Pretty much grin and bear it"
The district says it will ask for a 4 point three million dollar levy.
It will then reschedule bonds maturing in 2014 to lower the districts bond levy by four point three million dollars.


Thus enabling the district to certify a supplemental levy in that amount without a tax increase.
If that sounds confusing, it is.
How can they ask for more money without taxes going up?
We asked for an interview with the district to make the plan crystal clear, and instead they sent us a document which contains the very passage you just read that's so confusing.


And we're not the only ones having trouble getting answers from the Nampa school district.
Those attending this meeting still want to know how much cost cutting measures are saving.
"What are those savings and why does it take over three months to answer the questions and multiple times of asking." laments Mandy Simpson who attended Tuesday's budget meeting.
The frustrations are clear and make it tougher to argue for the public to step up and approve the second levy in the past 12 months.


"They need to figure out their finances because none of us can run a business that way. we're broke." says Marilyn O'Donnell.


How confusing is this? We managed to talk to a school board member by phone who said he really wasn't confident enough to explain it.
So, we'll keep digging until they spell it all out.