MLSD voters to cast ballots on local levy

MOSES LAKE — Voters in the Moses Lake School District will get a chance on Aug. 3 to vote to continue the local levy to help fund district programs over the next three years.

Ballots were mailed Thursday to 31,031 voters in Grant County, according to a press release from the county’s Elections Department.

The renewal levy of $1.50 per $1,000 in assessed value remains unchanged from the current district levy and is set to begin in 2022 and last through the end of 2024. It is anticipated the levy will raise $7.1 million in 2022.

The current levy, which was passed in 2018, is set to raise $6.9 million in tax revenue from district property owners this year, according to the Moses Lake School District. The money is used to fund programs the state only partly pays for, such as athletics, music, technology, and staff such as additional counselors and school nurses, according to the MLSD.

To pass, the levy needs a simple majority of 50% plus one vote. If the levy does not pass, the district will also lose a portion of state matching funds and will likely need to cut local programs, according to the MLSD.

The school district is also preparing to run the levy again on the Nov. 2 general election ballot if the measure fails in August.

Last year, the Moses Lake School Board approved a $123.7 million budget for the 2020-21 school year. While the operating budget for a school district runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 in line with the school year, the levy is collected on the basis of a calendar year, beginning Jan. 1.