Big update today on this bond project. After getting a bunch of bad press on this new bond, Alpine School Board issued a statement today that says the following:
"After reviewing multiple options and possible funding sources required to build a new high school, the Alpine School District Board of Education has determined that taking action on a lease revenue bond is not necessary at this time. Consequently, the public hearing scheduled for March 19, 2024 has been canceled. The district’s capital needs remain, and the school board will continue to study available funding options to meet these needs, including a possible lease revenue bond."
Here is a new story on this postponement:
So the bond will no longer be voted on at thus upcoming Tuesday meeting. And that is a good thing.
But I would caution anyone who opposed this bond to remain vigilant. I'm confident if the the school board hadn't gotten a bunch of bad press, they would have issued this massive bond next Tuesday. And I suspect they'll try to sneak it through again sometime soon. So stay tuned.
ORIGINAL POST BELOW
On March 5, 2024, Alpine School Board announced their intent to pass yet another lease revenue bond, this time for $175 MILLION:
This massive new bond will raise our already-too-high property taxes yet again. The scandal with this particular bond is that the Utah Legislature just passed SB86, which includes a $200 Million cap on total lease revenue bonds for a school district over any 3-year period, unless the school district gets voter approval for a new bond.
Since Alpine School Board already issued a $31,845,000 lease review bond in April 2022 and an $81,895,000 lease revenue bond in March 2023 (this time defying the will of the voters who had just voted down a proposed $595 MILLION general obligation bond), this new lease revenue bond for $175,000,000 would put them at $288,740,000, which is $88,740,000 over the cap in SB86. (see page 6 of Alpine School Board's Annual Financial Report).
But Alpine School Board is crafty.
You see, SB86 doesn't go into effect until May 1, 2024. So Alpine School Board is rushing through this new $175 MILLION bond a few days before May 1st. In other words, Alpine School Board is rushing through a massive new bond, which will result in a massive new tax increase, just a few days before doing so becomes illegal without voter approval. But apparently Alpine School District doesn't want to get voter approval, and isn't too worried about the will of the people or the legislature, and they intend to ignore and defy both in their meeting on March 19th.
The Utah Taxpayers Association wrote a great article on this new proposed bond - Alpine School District Plans to Ignore Voters and Defy Legislature - definitely worth a read. And I also recommend you follow the advice at the end of the article, which is:
"What can be done?
First, the Alpine School District will hold a hearing for its $175 million bond on March 19th at 6pm in American Fork. Public comment will be permitted, and we encourage voters to speak in opposition to the debt.
Second, SB 86 will come into effect on May 1st, which should put an end to this abuse. The school district will have no choice but to adhere to the law.
Third, we encourage Alpine School District voters to hold the board to account. Three of the six current board members’ terms expire at the end of this year. In November, voters will have the opportunity to replace or reinstate them. Voters’ decisions in November will directly affect the board’s decisions over the next few years." (Emphasis added).
As I've said before, even though enrollment in Alpine School District has plateaued (see my blog post on this topic), and even though the district already received over $1 BILLION of our tax dollars for their annual budget which is plenty of money to do a great job educating all students (see my Positions page), the current Alpine School Board has a never-ending appetite for more money and, whether they really need the money or not, they will continue to raise our taxes to forcefully take that money from us until We The People do something to stop them.
I am convinced, based on his past votes to raise our taxes time and time again, that our current representative on the school board, Mark Clement (School Board District 5), will continue to raise our taxes. If I am elected to replace Mark Clement, my promise is that I will never vote to raise our taxes. Instead, I will work to do a great job educating all students with the ample tax dollars already allocated to the school district.
If you are tired of Alpine School Board continually raising your property taxes, please vote for me for Alpine School Board in the primary election on June 25th and in the general election on November 5th.
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