Jerome gadfly questioned Valley School District levy. We fact checked his argument.

A Jerome County farmer who has opposed Valley School District levies asked Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane to pull a plant-facilities levy from the November ballot. He argued the ballot wording is false and misleading and would make voters think their taxes will fall. McGrane replied that neither his office nor the county clerk can judge the validity of a levy question properly placed on the ballot. He pointed to an Idaho law that sets out the process for contesting ballot language and said voting had already begun, so it was too late for changes.

Idaho Education News compared the ballot text with state statute and found a near-exact match. The proposed $1.5 million, five-year levy would raise $300,000 a year and replace a levy of the same size that voters approved in 2022. The ballot says it would cost $74.81 per $100,000 of taxable value, versus $101.42 for the existing levy, a drop of $26.61. The superintendent says the gap exists because the current figure rests on older property assessments, while the new one uses updated values. The district says it did not ask for an increase and had its legal counsel write the language.

The district uses these funds for building maintenance, remodeling, repairs, furnishings and buses. The levy needs 55% approval on Nov. 3. Two supplemental levy attempts failed by narrow margins last year.