Othello School District to put levy request before voters

OTHELLO — Othello School District patrons will be asked to approve or reject a three-year “educational programs and operations levy” in a special election in February.

If approved, the levy would replace the existing maintenance and operations levy. The Washington Legislature changed the programs that could be funded through money raised locally, which led to the change in name for the levy itself.

Board members opted to request about $1.53 per $1,000 of assessed property value, approximately the level of the current levy for the first two years. If the levy is approved, a property owner would pay an estimated $306 in taxes.

Janette Bumgarner, the district’s executive director of business services, estimated the levy would increase to $1.55 in the third year. The assessment for property worth $200,000 would be about $310.

Bumgarner estimated the levy would generate $2.35 million in 2021, $2.435 million in 2022 and $2.560 million in 2023.

If the levy is approved, the district will qualify for levy equalization funds from the state. That’s a state program that provides additional funding to districts that pass a levy, but have relatively lower property values. Board member Ken Johnson asked what happened to levy equalization if the district didn’t pass a levy. Bumgarner said the district had to pass a levy to receive levy equalization.

The board approved the levy request on a 4-1 vote. Board member Mike Garza voted no.

Bumgarner provided the board with three options, one of them being an assessment of $1.90 per $1,000 of assessed value. Board member Lindsy Prows said she would support that option, saying she could afford the extra money, which she estimated at about $10 per month. But Johnson and board member Sharon Shutte expressed concern about raising the levy, citing recent reassessment in the Othello area.

In many cases property values – and as a result, taxes – went up due to the reassessment, Johnson said. Under those circumstances he didn’t want to raise the levy request, he said, especially since the board is considering a capital request, either a construction bond or capital levy.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at educatrion@columbiabasinherald.com.