During these challenging economic times, Bowling Green City Schools is asking the community for $72.8 million to build a new high school. Expecting to fund a new high school solely on property taxes places the burden exclusively on property owners. A more reasonable way would be to split it between property and income tax. Be advised that your properties have been reassessed and your taxes will increase (amount unknown) January 2024. Farmland values have increased even more (77%). Farmers will be severely impacted. Landlords will have no choice but to raise rent, thus affecting the renters as well.
Don’t give in to voter fatigue and vote yes just because you are tired of them asking. This will not be the end of the asking. If the new high school is built , then there will be another levy for operation costs; then a levy for new elementary buildings; then a levy for more operation costs.
Serious community concerns have been expressed by voters, and questions go unanswered ( how much money is in the checkbook?) throughout the last 4 rejected levies.
The current board claims transparency yet nothing could be further from the truth. Transparency would be giving the community concrete numbers with which we can make an educated and informed decision.
The truth is this: no one knows how much their property taxes are going up (due to the reevaluation) and no one knows how much the school levy will cost. It’s all based on estimates. Since no one knows….I urge you to vote NO.
Brenda Pike
Bowling Green
