Dear Editor:
So, concerning the new Lockwood High School, it seems that our personal tax bill will be $797 for the current Lockwood Grade School.
You say the $454 for SD2 High School tax bill will go down to $227. Yea!
And the new Lockwood High School tax bill will tack on at least an ADDITIONAL $600.
This does not include the Fire Rural Tax $666, Education Tax $432, County Tax, $447, County Road Tax $157, and the Safety Levy Tax $42, Medical Levy Tax $44, State County Refuse Tax $20, Big Sky Eco Dev Tax $13, and County Weed Tax $3.
The tax bill from this past year increased by $296 by nickling and diming each part of the tax bill from last year. I am sure that was just a one-time increase — correct?
We will have to also stretch our income to cover groceries, lights, propane, medicines, medical bills, health insurance, license plates, car insurance, car repairs, gasoline, dental and vision needs, clothes, shoes and telephone.
I did not list recreation, Internet, vacations, sewer for some, credit card debt and state and federal taxes.
So when you say it is ONLY $197 a year for a $100,000 house, or it is only an additional $20 a month, you are not factoring in all of the above costs OR the increases that will continue, AND that most houses cost more than $100,000.
For those of you who rent, your rent payment will be probably be raised to factor in all of the above costs for the person who owns your rental.
For those of you that are disabled, on Social Security income only, or are the sole bread winner, well, we definitely wish you good luck.
A new high school for Lockwood would be wonderful, but won’t you please advise our family and others on how we are going to pay for it, without going further into debt? Thank you.
Athna-May Bliss Porter
Lockwood
