Residents and parents press Pasco School Board over proposed levy increase
Summary
Several community members urged the Pasco School Board to rethink a proposed levy increase, citing steep property tax growth and district spending trends; parents and a longtime voter said rising levies are pricing out residents while a parent-citizen cited federal pandemic funds as a driver of later local tax increases.
Several residents and parents used the Pasco School Board’s public comment period to oppose a proposed replacement levy and press the board for clearer budget reasoning.
Rick Lamont, a Pasco resident who said he has paid taxes in the district for 45 years, told the board he will vote no on the levy. “This is an exorbitant request,” he said, citing what he described as a roughly 40% proposed increase and stating the district’s assessed valuation rose from $7,800,000,000 in 2020 to $15,600,000,000 now. Lamont also said M&O revenues rose from $11,700,000 to $29,700,000 in that period and told the board that his property taxes have risen 48% while his pension has not.
Parent and levy critic Barrett Turner, who said he helped lead the levy ‘con’ statement, urged the board to explain what changed between 2020 and 2025. Turner said federal COVID-era funds temporarily bolstered district revenue, and when those grants tapered off the district’s local tax requests increased. He also told the board that district enrollment fell by about 192 students from 2020 to 2025 while the district added roughly 72 staff over the same period.
Board members did not take a vote on the levy during the meeting; the session’s public comment portion was the primary venue for these concerns. Board leaders acknowledged the concerns and have scheduled additional opportunities for public engagement and budget review in upcoming meetings and outreach events.
What’s next: the board’s staff will continue budget planning and outreach ahead of the replacement levy vote; no formal board action on the levy was recorded at this meeting.
