Letters to the Editor, Feb. 3
PenMet Parks endorses PSD levy
At our Jan. 11 meeting, the PenMet Parks Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to support the upcoming Peninsula School District levy.
Schools, like parks, are a vital part of a strong community and PenMet has a long history of partnering with PSD to provide recreational activities for our constituents. The continuation of this levy is important for our students, our schools, and ultimately, our entire community.
Please join your local parks board in voting yes on the PSD Continuing Educational Programs and Operations Levy this election.
Todd Iverson, Gig Harbor
(Iverson is board president of PenMet Parks’ Board of Commissioners.)
School board committed to keeping taxes low
Call me naive if you like, but I generally try to trust people unless they give me a reason not to. So when our school board says they’re committed to keeping taxes low, I take them at their word. I’m not concerned with what the board may have done 20 years ago, because over half our board just got elected. I think we need to give them a chance.
Several area residents disagree, and have vocally opposed the levy renewal currently on the ballot. One concern is that if the state eventually provides more funding for education, the school board might keep those funds and the levy funds, essentially “double-dipping.”
The response to this is simple. First, almost every state proposal being considered requires school districts to reduce levies if more state funds are supplied. Second, our school board has stated publicly that they will review the levy amounts annually and reduce them if possible when new state funding is granted, something few districts statewide have even considered. And while the state may yet provide more funding, state dollars often come with strings attached, making it difficult to stretch that money as far as we need to.
I’m not a big fan of taxes in general, but I trust the school board to make the hard decisions and balance the needs of our school-age children and the community at large. Please join me in supporting our kids and our schools. Vote YES on Proposition 1!
Zachary Smith, Gig Harbor
This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Letters to the Editor, Feb. 3."