The following are the Herald Editorial Board’s final endorsements for the General Election. A full list of previous endorsements will appear Sunday in The Herald.
Arlington School District, Proposition No. 1: The Arlington School District is seeking to modernize what has become the county’s oldest school bus fleet.
Half of its buses are 13 years old or older and are fully depreciated, which means the district no longer receives any matching money from the state for their replacement. The new buses would greatly improve student safety with safer seat design, more exits, stronger frames and better traction control.
The district is seeking $1.5 million each in 2015 and 2016, resulting in a projected levy of 49 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, less than $150 annually for a $300,000 home.
Passage of the levy improves student safety and saves the district from the costly upkeep of an aging fleet of buses. We strongly urge a yes vote.
Fire district EMS and fire protection levies: Districts 15 (Tulalip) and 17 (Granite Falls) are seeking permanent levy rates of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to provide and maintain emergency medical services. The owner of a $200,000 home would pay about $100 annually. In both cases, the levies replace existing levies and do not represent a new tax. Making the levies permanent, meaning further votes to continue their collection would not be necessary, would bring the districts in line with the practice of most fire districts in the county.
Fire District 21 (Arlington Rural) is seeking a fire protection and EMS levy of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, $300 for a $200,000 home. The levy more than doubles the current rate of 69 cents per $1,000, but would allow the district to provide 24-hour staffing and the construction of second station to improve response time and coverage.
We recommend district residents pass their levies.
Stanwood Proposition No. 1: The proposition recommends annexation of Stanwood into the Sno-Isle Library District. Currently Stanwood pays $289,200 to contract library services through Sno-Isle. Adding Stanwood to the district would add a library levy of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, $125 for the owner of a $250,000 home within the Stanwood city limits.
Establishing a separate levy for the library would free up money for other city services and needs. We recommend a yes vote.
Lynnwood Transportation Benefit District, Proposition No. 1: Lynnwood seeks the creation of a transportation district that would add two-tenths of 1 percent to the sales tax charged in the city, increasing the tax to 9.7 percent, $9.70 on a $100 purchase, the highest rate in the state. Revenue raised would go toward additional road maintenance and specific projects, including the proposed widening of 196th Street SW.
As a significant portion of those using Lynnwood’s streets are out-of-town shoppers, this is a fair method of sharing the costs of improvements instead of overloading the tax burden on residents, who are already paying a $20 city license tab fee. Approval is recommended.
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