Trego's Mountain Ear

This year, we’re having to pass a special levy to pay tuition to the schools that take Trego students in from out of district.  It’s one of those things about taxation with representation – the only votes from folks we can elect came from Mike Cuffe and Neil Durum (neither of whom is a Trego taxpayer).  Frankly, Zooey Zephyr (D-Missoula) has done a better job representing Trego than either our state senator or state representative.  What the hey – we tend to vote in people who are likable, and both Mike and Neil are easy to like.

Our property taxes fund the schools – and the school taxes are just a little over 6/10th of the total property tax bill.  Let’s look at where those school taxes actually go, and how much they cost me on one piece of property:

State School Levy (Helena bound)	95 mills	$103.26
State Levy (University support)	6 mills	6.52
Countywide Education (Libby)	18.24 mills	19.83
Elementary General (Trego)	38.28 mills	41.63
Elementary Bus Depreciation (Trego)	8.28 mills	9.00
Elementary Building Reserve (Trego)	2.08 mills	2.26
HS General (LCHS)	12.89 mills	14.01
HS Transportation (LCHS)	5.84 mills	6.35
HS Bus Depreciation (LCHS)	2.64 mills	2.87
HS Tuition (LCHS)	.03  mill	.03
HS Building Reserve        (LCHS)	1.08 mill	1.08

We don’t get to vote on the state school levy – it all goes to Helena, and then a portion (a bloody small portion) comes back to our schools.  Basically half of our school taxes go to Helena for redistribution (I think the word they use is equalization.)  We don’t get to vote on it, and the last time our commissioners tried to cut it down we were court ordered to pay up.  It’s what they call taxation without representation . . . or possibly taxation with the representation coming from Mike and Neil.  I think the American revolution came about because of this quality of representation – but keep reading – it gets worse.

The 6 mill levy is something we get to vote on every ten years as I recall.  No complaints there – I attended Montana universities.

The countywide education levy is decided by the commissioners when they meet – so we get some indirect representation there.

The Elementary levies – a total of 48.64 mills (about a quarter of a Trego landowner’s school taxes – are the only spot the local board gets a vote.  Partial control over these levies are what you’re voting for in the school board elections.

Now the high school levies are something Eureka residents have a say in – but Trego residents effectively had their input taken away in 1988, when there was an election to unify the high school and grade school – and it passed, but they couldn’t unify the districts without changing the name of Lincoln County High School.  I couldn’t find the minutes that went back on the unification (and don’t blame Joel because he searched along with me).  My scientific wild assed guess is that someone pulled them and disposed of them long before Joel and I looked for them.

The crux is that the 5 Eureka Elementary trustees make all the decisions for the high school.  Sure, there’s a position for a Trego resident on the board – but my thoughts when the topic came up were simply “Why would I want to be on a board where I’ll be outvoted if I try to represent my constituency?”  It’s a token position, lacking any real opportunity for input. 

Fundamentally, 75% of the school taxes for Trego residents are taxes assessed without representation.  The High School bus no longer picks up high school kids any further up the creek than Trego school (I remember when Mrs. Gilmond ran the route to pick us up).  Well, we have a token Trego representative on that board, so maybe she can get changes made . . . and pigs may fly, but I doubt it.

Please, as you read this, remember that I support public education.  And I also support representative government.  I’ll continue to vote against Mike Cuffe and Neil Durum – I like both as individuals, but they have voted against my best interests, and do not merit my vote.  If Zoey Zephyr ever runs against either, my decision is made – I’ll vote for the best man.