This is just the start of tax increases: The tax isn’t just $40/month or $480/yr. Recently appearing before the South Jordan City Council, the school board admitted that they will need to raise taxes again after raising taxes by passing this bond. The reason is that they will need at least $500,000 per new school built to pay for admin, cafeteria and janitorial staff. The teachers will be paid by taxes on existing homes.
They own investment properties that should be sold first: JSD owns 40 acres of prime expensive commercial property in Riverton, and another 10-20 acres of prime expensive commercial property in Bluffdale. This is acreage where schools should not be built that This land should be sold first to reduce the burden of bonding to taxpayers, and reduce the amount to be bonded.
Turning down free property: Daybreak gave JSD 2 free plots of ground to build schools, but that has been ignored by JSD. Further, Daybreak gave JSD another free plot to build their new school district building, but that was also snubbed in favor of spending $7.5 million to build elsewhere.
JSD wants blank check: The cost of the proposed 11 schools roughly adds up to $280 million, but the bond is for $495 Billion. Where’s the rest going?
Unnecessarily expensive building costs: When Riverton High was built in the 90’s, it cost about $110/sq ft to build, while Cache County built a high school at the same time for $55/sq ft. The new Herriman High has some many expensive unnecessary features, that an elementary school could have been built with the extra costs. To date, they have refused to look at the types of construction cost saving ideas that have saved Washington County 25% on its building costs. What does that mean – build 4 schools and get the 5th for free!
By Chuck Newton, Council Member
South Jordan City