Dear Editor,

In your publication of August 16th, there was a notice in the classified section giving notice of hearing by Boyle County Board of Education for Aug. 30, 2018 – 6 p.m. being held in the Boyle County High School Library. Purpose of meeting is increase in real and personal property tax from 71.8 to 74.6 for General Fund.

If my calculation is correct this is a 2.8-percent increase for the General Fund. Two years ago, Mr. LaFavers told the people if we would pass the nickel tax for bonding in construction the General Fund would level off to the 71.8 percent, which it did.

My question to the school board and tax-paying public is where is this increase going to come from? Myself as well as many Boyle County taxpayers are retired and on fixed income. Our retirement and Social Security did not increase by 2.8 percent, therefore taking from something we do not have.

As the nickel tax was to provide bonding power for construction, why did the board and Mr. LaFavers approve a $34,000,000 contract using all bonding power instead of $14,000,000, which was the first price. As a past contractor doing business with the Ky. Dept. of Transportation, each contract received many bids on projects and naturally they chose the lowest bid.

What happened to our school board, did they not obtain many bids? Perhaps they chose to have the design increased to things the school does not need after the contract was let. For the life of me I can not see how $34,000,000 is going to make the children smarter or more ready to face the world after graduation.

The explanation of funds in the notice only gives for certain items totaling $219,427.83 ABOVE the 2018 revenue. Where is the balance going? Perhaps Mr. LaFavers and the board need to cut excessive spending cost instead of raising the tax rate. One area to be considered would be Mr. LaFaver’s salary and office staff. Perhaps less employees. Seems like as always the people got taken once again.

Betty G. Edwards

Mitchellsburg