KIMBERLY, Idaho — The Kimberly School District is asking voters to approve a $57.8 million bond on May 19 to improve academic, athletic, and community-use facilities across the district.
If approved, the 30-year bond would create a 950-seat fine arts auditorium, a new middle school gym, a multi-purposed field house, and a sports complex. Property owners would see a tax increase of $277 per $100,000 of assessed value.
WATCH: Kimberly voters divided over a proposed $57.8 million school bond
Neighbors gathered at the Rock Creek Fire Station on Tuesday evening to see the plans and have their voices heard. Stoked by heated social media debates, the upcoming bond request is causing a major rift among neighbors in Kimberly.
RELATED: Kimberly School District asks voters to approve a $57.8 million bond for new facilities
"They claim they want to create this unity by doing this for the school. It's created a huge division between those who have enough money and those who don't have enough money," Branden Schiess said.
Those in opposition to the bond made their voices heard loud and clear during the meeting.
"60 million dollars is a lot of money, and 30 years is a long time. Half of us probably won't be here, well, I know I won't be," one neighbor said.
"I'm saying, I don't think this is a smart use of our money. I think we need table this and go back to the drawing board," another neighbor said.
"This increase in taxes is far more than my cost-of-living allowance from my retirement and from my social security, so where do I start?" a neighbor said.
Those in favor of the bond say the funds are needed to keep up with the growing Magic Valley. Supporters say the new additions would be a community asset with the ability to host academic and athletic tournaments, boosting the local economy.
For Kimberly resident Joie Rickards, that is not enough of a reason to increase taxes on an already financially strapped community.
"We’re trying to keep up with the Joneses, like Twin Falls, and we're not. That's a 50,000-plus community, and we’re a community of 5,000. It's not like we're a thrive metropolis with a ton of restaurants that people can come in and enjoy," Rickards said.
It will be up to voters to decide. The bond needs a supermajority to pass.
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