(KCPW News) The Salt Lake City School Board will hold a public hearing tomorrow on a proposed $1.7-million property tax hike. School District Business Administrator Janet Roberts explains $500,000 of that increase is a transportation levy.
“We saw some decreases in our transportation budget, and in order to keep our bus routes the way they are right now, currently, we’re proposing that increase,” she says.
The remaining $1.2 million would be a judgment levy. Both levies were also increased in 2010.
Roberts notes that significant changes have been made in the district as a result of budget cuts handed down by the Utah Legislature.
“I think that people know that we’ve made changes to our calendar, we no longer have a year-round calendar; we’ve had to increase class size,” says Roberts. “We have made efficiencies, which is always a good thing, but we’re still looking at ways to cut into the future, because we still have $1.2 million dollars using one-time funds this year that we’re going to have to cut next year.”
The tax hike would amount to more than $14.50 per year on a $250,000 home, while a business of the same value would pay $26.50 more per year. Tomorrow night’s hearing begins at 7 p.m. in the school district board room at 440 East 100 South.
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