SALT LAKE COUNTY — The Granite School District Board just voted to raise property taxes by roughly 10.26% for people living within the district. This is an effort to raise $21 million for the schooling system. The vote passed 6-1.
Last year, the Granite School District tried to raise $17 million from property taxes. However, the state tax commission denied it due to a clerical error.
The district says due to rising costs and different levels governmental funding they needed to raise even more money.
While district staff, teachers and parents of students within the school district support the tax increase, some residents say it's too much of a cost for them to bear.
"Budgets as they apply to some of the funding mechanisms have been altered and changed over the last few years, which have had a negative and nuanced and a very unique impact on Granite School District,” said Superintendent Ben Horsley. “So, in order to provide services ongoing and to pay for class size reduction to help with our reading initiative, we're looking at a tax increase this evening."
"I'm retired. I'm on a fixed income. I shouldn't have to keep paying school taxes forever and ever and ever. I don't have any kids in school,” said Lance Walker, who lives in the Granite School District boundaries. “I think everybody that's over 65, they'd retired, they shouldn't have to pay school taxes anymore."
While the board voted to increase property taxes, the Utah Tax Commission will still need to certify the rate increase before it goes into effect.
