Canyon ISD's Tax Rate Election

 

Have you wondered what the difference is between the 2024 TRE and the VATRE from 2023?  If you recall in 2023, the District voters overwhelmingly voted against the VATRE.  Presently, the District has decided to change it up a little bit to see if you are paying attention.  They removed the "Voter Approval" from the acronym.  It means the same thing, and voters still have to approve it.  So to answer the first question, no this isn't any different from last year. You can read all about what the Tax Rate Election is on the District's website, hear about it on the scoreboard at any sporting event you attend, or get inundated with emails from the district if you are a parent, so we won't bore you any further in that regard.  Our purpose for this article is to explain it from the VOTER's point of view. 

 

Essentially, if this TRE is approved, this new taxation never goes away.  This is different from a school bond that pays for an exact "thing", and then once it is paid for, the tax is no longer levied.  The District is quick to point out how much a typical homeowner would pay based on their homestead.  However, what if you own a business or home that is not your homestead, ie rental property?  You can now expect rental properties to be forced to increase rent across the entire district.  These are taxpayers who are already struggling to make ends meet.  If you own a business in the district, will you as a business owner just fork over the additional taxes?  Those increased costs will also force the prices for goods and services sold to in turn increase.  Are you over 65?  Do you really want to burden your children's families and neighbors with additional taxation?

 

We can all agree that we want to support our school and the teachers who work so very hard, but will this additional money actually go to the teachers like the District claims?  That answer is more like a "maybe".  The District does not have to tell us where they are going to spend the money.  They can give us an idea, but they do not have to use those particular funds on the line item designated.  

 

In looking at the budget last year in 2023, there was specifically a line item for five million dollars on a new press box for the stadium.  Five million seems like an exorbitant expense, and let us ask ourselves who uses the press box and how does that benefit our teachers?  Do you know any teachers that get to sit in the press box during football games?  Could they use your hard earned money on a new press box?  You betcha!