The biggest problem with The Park City School Bond is deciding whether you trust them.

In your election ballot you received from Summit County, you’ll be asked whether you want to allow the Park City School District to issue a $79 million bond. It becomes more complicated because the school district wants to spend $50 million more dollars on other projects, through a different tax mechanisam, and want to finance that separately. It’s frankly a little weird.

The problem that the Park City School District continually creates is weirdness. If the district wants to spend $129 million, then they should bond for it. Instead, they make a bond for $79 million, indicate they need $50 million more dollars, talk about $2 million coming from a secret donor, and then declare bake sales can be used for the other $50 million.

Holy crap.

But let’s take a step back. Let’s discuss the fundamental issues being addressed by the bond and the bake sale $50 million in tax increases. Here is what the $129 million Bond + is promising:

• 9th grade moves into the high school.
• Ecker becomes an 6/7/8 school.
• Preschool is available in all elementary schools.

That will cost a home owner who’s home is valued at $950K about $100 a year. Your house is probably valued more than that by Summit County, so let’s call it $200 a year. Over 21 years of the bond, you are committing to paying $4,000. Oh, and that’s the $79 million portion. The $50 million will cost even more.

That said let’s take a farther step back. Back during the 2015 Park City School District bond process, I attended almost every meeting by the bond committee. That was a shit show. The school district was being driven by outside forces that didn’t have our best interests in mind. On a positive note, I don’t feel that here. I think that all-things-Park-City-Education are pushing the bond but it’s not for financial gain.

Yet, we are also in a different place. Personally, my property taxes have doubled in the last 10 years. If they double again, for me, it will almost be unsustainable. I believe that fact is lost on Summit County and the school district.