BY DAVID REAGOR
Los Alamos County Councilor

The election this fall is for the LAPS board, UNM-LA advisory board, and a school bond for LAPS. This bond will not raise the property tax rate, but all the tax assessments are increasing and your property tax bill will go up for almost everyone. Some writers to the press have said taxes will not go up, but they only mean the rates will not go up. This bond is a renewal of a previous bond and the main projects are replacements of Piñon and Chamisa Elementary schools. Some voters may note that this was already approved during the previous bond issue. Why fund it again?

The county and schools have been plagued by high bids on every construction project. The bids are typically exceeding 150% of pre-COVID estimates for the same projects. For a new school, or anything tangible that uses a great deal of steel and concrete, the real rate of inflation is well over the 8% a year that the federal government reports. This inflation all comes from what is essentially excessive money printing in the federal government and there is little the school board or any local government can do about it. The previous bond issue does not appear to be enough to complete these projects, but the old schools still need to be replaced. There appears to be no other option. Please support this bond issue.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me at davidreagor@gmail.com.