ST. GEORGE — The Washington County School District Board of Education will be conducting a public hearing Sept. 11 to receive input from the Southern Utah community on a special bond election.
The district will be conducting a local special bond election Nov. 6, asking voters to approve general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $125 million. At the upcoming public hearing, people will be able to ask questions and voice concerns about the bond.
According to a press release from the Board of Education, if approved by voters, the district intends to use the general obligation bonds to raise money for the following:
- Constructing, improving and acquiring one or more school sites, buildings and furnishings.
- Improving, remodeling and updating existing school property, including safety upgrades.
- Providing moneys for the refunding of general obligation bonds.
Read more: Crimson Cliffs Middle School ready to open; school district makes plans for future projects
Steve Dunham, communication and public relations director for WCSD, previously told St. George News that the bond the district will ask voters to approve in November is a “tax neutral bond.” As the school pays off old debt, property tax will decrease, so it only has to tax the amount it needs to pay off old debt.
“What we’re going to ask voters to do is let us freeze the tax rate where it is,” Dunham said in July, “and it will give us sufficient money for a new bond, and we don’t have to raise taxes anymore.”
People may submit written comments to the board, to the attention of the business administrator, prior to the public hearing by mailing them to the WCSD office.
For more information on the hearing, click here.
Event details
- What: Public hearing on local special bond election.
- When: Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 4:30 p.m.
- Where: Washington County School District office, 121 W. Tabernacle St., St. George.
- All members of the public are invited to attend and participate in the public hearing.
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Decrease the tax rate? How much for how long? How soon before your back asking for more because ________.
Please explain: “The Board proposes to pledge the full faith and credit of the District for the payment of its general obligation bonds and will be obligated to levy and collect ad valorem taxes sufficient to pay the general obligation bonds, as provided by law.”
How will the Board “levy and collect” the ad valorem taxes if the bonds go belly up? Just trying to understand the language and what it means.