Meeting tomorrow to discuss Firth’s $400,000 plant facilities levy

FIRTH — The Firth School District is holding a public meeting to discuss the proposed plant facilities levy.

Thursday night, the Firth School Board will decide how to proceed with the ten-year, $400,000 plant facilities levy going on the ballot on May 18. Before the meeting, the district will hold a public meeting to gather input from Firth taxpayers.

The public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Firth City Hall. The School Board meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Firth Middle School.

“We want to make sure we are responsible with the tax dollars of the community,” Firth School District Superintendent Basil Morris told Community Pioneer.

The primary topic of discussion at the public meeting and board meeting will be what to do about the current $300,000 supplemental levy if the new plant facilities levy passes.

“Because our supplemental levy was approved last year — it’s a two-year levy, so we have this year and next year — my recommendation to the board will be that we don’t collect that $300,000 supplemental levy next year. Because if this passes, we’d double the taxes for one year,” Morris explained.

Morris said he is trying to prevent the doubling of taxes from happening and believes the School Board will agree with him.

Firth also currently has a second $95,000 supplemental levy expiring this year. That will also be replaced by the plant facilities levy if it passes 

Why does the School District want to switch to a Plant Facilities Levy?

The Firth School district has had two long-standing supplemental levies. One for $300,000 and the other at $95,000. With those two levies, Firth taxpayers have been paying roughly $167 per year per $100,000 of assessed property value. 

The supplemental levies must be renewed every two years.

The proposed ten-year $400,000 plant facilities would replace the two supplemental levies and cost the taxpayers slightly less. If passed, taxpayers would pay $163 per year per $100,000 of assessed property value.

“Our goal is to not to have to ask for supplemental levies,” Morris said.

Funds collected through supplemental levies can be used for school maintenance. It can also be used for other general expenditures like salaries, student activities, transportation and more.

“Our (supplemental levies) have been used primarily for maintenance,” Morris said.

Plant facility levies can only be used for school maintenance, improvements, new school construction, repairs and other projects along those same lines. 

“It can only be used for that so it’s not mixed and mingled between plant facilities and technology or curriculum or whatever else. That’s what we’re trying to steer away from. We’re trying to be more transparent or accountable for that money,” Morris explained.

What will the Plant Facilities Levy pay for?

The Firth School District has put together a list of projects the plant facilities levy would pay for if passed. That list can be viewed by clicking here.

“Our schools are good. They’re safe, but they do need a lot of maintenance,” Morris said.

A few of the most expensive projects the levy would pay for include: $115,062 for a new track, $125,000 for CTE facilities such as AG, Business and Home Economics, $250,000 to remodel the auditorium and $150,000 for roofing.

“It’ll maintain our buildings. It’ll fix our buildings, fix our sports areas. Part of it is our auditorium and our choir and things that we’ve been struggling with for years,” Morris said.