Brigham City – After residents of Box Elder County, in November 2024, a proposal for $ 220 million bonds which would have been devoted to various district improvements which included new constructions and renovations, the school district of the box was forced to search for another avenue to obtain funds.
This came just after midnight early Thursday via an increase in property tax of 37.2% approved by the district council.
This decision should cost the average owner in the county an additional $ 343 per year. For business owners, the increase is an additional $ 624 per year.
The increase in funds, said the board of directors, will be used exclusively for two things: increasing the remuneration of employees by 2% and meeting the needs for improving buildings, which include the construction of a new primary school in the West Tremonton region and adding to the high schools of Bear River and Box Elder.
In a truth in the tax presentation before public comments, the District Affairs Administrator Neil Stevens said that part of the district budget comes from the legislative requirements that have no attached funding.
“The legislature likes to adopt new laws. Last year, they adopted 57% of the laws they proposed for education. This imposes new requirements for us.” Sixty percent of our new requirements have no attached funding.
During the period of public comments from the hearing, representative Tom Peterson, R-Brigham City, responded to these concerns, saying that the legislature does “everything we can for education”.
“In 2022, the allowance we had for Box Elder County was $ 96.8 million; in 2026, the allowance was $ 131 million. This is an increase of almost 40% in five years,” said Peterson. “I want to make sure that the public knows that we are funding education at record levels. And I understand that you must also face things at your level, but we do our best to finance public education.”
While the hearing included a good dose of opinions on both sides of the aisle, with regard to what people thought of a tax increase, some in support of the hiking also criticized the legislative assembly of UTAH.
Joel Wilson, a former district student, thanked the Legislative Assembly for having “courageously led UTAH to the golden age of public education” before emphasizing that UTAH is near the nation in terms of student education.
In relation:
“The legislators have managed to do the impossible. They kept the low taxes, funding below and the lowest expectations. It is not leadership; who passes their pomegranate and pulls the spindle when leaving,” said Wilson.
“Let us be clear: it is not a question of tax conservatism; it is political cowardice. If they were really for public education, they would finance it. If they do not have the courage to finance it, they should tell us that, to parents, to the teachers, to you, to all those who do more of each year. They should not sit on the hearing of Capitol Hill.
The hearing also presented people working in education, applying the board of directors to adopt the increase in tax to support educators and students.
“Like the others, I do not want my taxes to be increased. But it is quite funny that, as an employee of the school who live in the district, we had to pay more to possibly obtain an increase at the same time. But something must be done,” said Todd Barrow, director of Discovery Elementary School. “As a board of directors, you have a rare opportunity to vote on something that will have a real and tangible impact on what is best for children in our district, and I hope you will enjoy this opportunity.”
You say that this is reduced not to give taxpayers too much burden, and that this new proposal costs less than the obligation. This will cost taxpayers more. Instead of the $ 20 of the deposit, I will now pay almost $ 38 per month.
– Chad Kearl
Other residents, such as Chad Kearl, said that the hearing felt like the council “simply checked the box” and that most of the members had already decided before hearing residents.
“You say that this is reduced so as not to charge taxpayers too much, and that this new proposal costs less than the obligation. It will cost taxpayers more. Instead of the $ 20 of the obligation, I will now pay for almost $ 38 per month,” said Kearl.
Steven Pocock, a resident from Brigham City, said that the county residents “could not bear” the increase in tax.
“People simply decide that they can withdraw money from my pocket and spend it for everything they would like to do and it must stop,” said Pocock.
Karen Cronin, member of the board of directors, who expressed the only vote in opposition to the hike, pleaded with his colleagues members of the board of directors to “respect the voice of the people”.
“If the district has a different plan from what has been proposed on the surety, bring it back to voters. Do not force this tax increase by 37%. We need their confidence now, and we will need it in the future. Many of our neighbors are already stretched, working additional jobs, jumping medical care and fighting to pay food and necessities,” said Cronin.
After more than five hours of public comments, the tax in taxation was adopted during a 5-1 vote.
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