Finley voters have one more chance to save school programs, sports | Opinion

Finley School District leaders got the message when voters soundly rejected an operational levy in February. It was too much money in these tough financial times.

The district retooled its proposal, reduced the ask and further tightened its belt on spending. We recommend that voters reward that work by passing Proposition 1.

The levy in Proposition 1 would fund essentials – teacher salaries, school safety, instructional materials, special education, the arts, student programs, athletics and building maintenance.

Property owners would pay an estimated $1.89 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2026 and $1.99 in 2027. Those rates are less than what the district asked for a few months ago. The owner of a $300,000 home would pay $567 in the first year.

It’s also important to remember that there’s a good chance taxpayers will pay less than those rates. If property values continue to increase, the district would charge less to collect the total amount authorized.

The district has signaled good faith by finding other savings to help balance the budget including scaling back some extracurriculars, cutting administrative salaries and reducing staffing. Those help, but they aren’t enough given the magnitude of the revenue shortfall.

Failure to pass Proposition 1 would blow a $2 million hole in the annual budget, a quarter of which would be lost state matching funds under the Local Effort Assistance program. Finley schools would have to enact deep cuts including eliminating all sports and cutting more than two dozen staff and teaching positions.

Schools still might go to a four-day school week to balance the budget, leaving parents in the lurch to find daycare and lower-income students without access to healthy lunches that day.

Local school levies bridge the gap between what the state provides and what it actually costs to educate children. Proposition 1 will allow Finley schools to continue to provide the quality education that students deserve.

Finley residents have until Monday, April 14, to register to vote online and must return ballots to a Benton County election drop box and register to vote in person by 8 p.m., April 22.

Walla Walla County fire district merger

Voters in northern Walla Walla County can enhance fire protection and emergency medical services by passing Proposition 1. The measure would create a single regional fire authority that could streamline operations and provide more bang for taxpayers’ dollars. We recommend a “yes” vote.

Currently, Fire Protection Districts 1, 3 and 7 are independent service areas. The three districts include the Berryman, Lamar, Prescott, Eureka, Fishhook, Lee, Clyde and Pleasant View stations.

They do work together on some things, now, but a formal union would eliminate redundancies and inefficiencies.

They could deliver better coordination, resource allocations and response times. For example, training sessions could serve more responders at once, equipment could be more strategically allocated and the authority could hire a single, full-time maintenance officer.

The current districts have small populations spread across large areas. As of last year, District 1 had 157 residents, District 7 had 226, and District 3 had 937. With so few taxpayers, each district alone doesn’t generate much revenue. By pooling their resources, they can better protect their communities.

A property tax not to exceed $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed value would replace the existing fire protection district tax levies and fund the new single district.

That’s a modest increase from the current rates in the districts. The owner of a $250,000 home on average would pay $300 per year compared with $246 now. It’s the price of a cup of coffee each month for better emergency services.

The proposal has come before voters with the backing of the county commissioners. An elected five-member board would run the North County Fire District after a transition period.

A “yes” vote on Proposition 1 will support dedicated firefighters and emergency responders by enabling them to deliver the best possible service without wasting tax dollars on duplicative expenses.

Voters in the three fire districts have until Monday, April 14, to register to vote and must return ballots to an official election drop box and register to vote in person by 8 p.m., April 22.