(The Center Square) – Property tax levy proposals for 13 Spokane-area school districts are passing – some narrowly – but voters in five districts are rejecting long-term, multi-million-dollar bond proposals, based on initial tallies from Tuesday’s special elections.
The Spokane School District floated a $200 million construction-and-renovation bond measure, which received 54.3% of the initial vote, short of the 60% approval needed for passage, according to preliminary ballot results compiled by the Spokane County Auditor’s Office .
However, the school district’s proposed three-year, education-and-operations levy only needs a simple-majority vote and it was passing at 54.7%. If approved, the levy will replace an existing one which expires at the end of this year. The proposition calls for an estimated tax rate of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation to collect $95 million in 2025, $99 million in 2026, and $103 million in 2027. That equates to $83 a month or $1,000 a year for the owner of a $400,000 home within the school district.