Granite District getting the word out about bond proposal

Granite District getting the word out about bond proposal


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SALT LAKE CITY -- The Granite School District hopes residents aren't scared off by language of a tax increase, when their bond proposal on the ballot really is not a tax increase at all.

This bond will pay for rebuilding some schools and upgrading others, like adding air conditioning. But district spokesman Ben Horsley says the biggest challenge is informing the voters.

"Letting them know that even though the ballot says, ‘notice of property tax increase,' there will be no tax increase in their property tax statements," he says.

ProjectsEstimated costs (millions)
Air conditioning all schools$61.0
Granger High School40.0
Magna area elementary13.0
Oakwood Elementary13.0
5600 West Valley Elementary13.0
Woodstock Elementary13.0
Olympus High School64.0
Hartvigsen School14.0
NW quadrant Junior High25.0
**Total****$256.0**

-Granite School District

Horsley says state law requires the language saying "property tax increase," but this bond would allow the district to take existing money from the capital levy. The district wants to jump onto low construction costs and low interest rates to hopefully save money in the long run.


...even though the ballot says, ‘notice of property tax increase,' there will be no tax increase.

–Ben Horsley, Granite District Spokesperson


"We have several schools that are older and need to be replaced. We have two 100- year-old elementaries that need to be replaced," he says.

Horsley says it's cheaper and easier to rebuild than to bring the older buildings up to code and to install the technological advances seen in education.

"We are really going to be saving our taxpayers money by doing these projects now instead of waiting 15, 16 years to do those things," he says.

The bond has the approval of the Utah Taxpayers Association. Open houses start Thursday evening and run through the end of the month. For more information on those, CLICK HERE.

E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com

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Mary Richards

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