THE NEWSPAPER AT THE HEART & SOUL OF OUR COMMUNITY
WEEKEND 13,2015 WWW.ARLINGTONTIMES.COM WEEKENDEDITION EDITION DECEMBER JUNE 8, 2014 WWW.ARLINGTONTIMES.COM 75¢ 75¢
Herald THE SUNDAY
An Edition of
Hometown Holidays BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
Sports:
Arlington boys wrestling defeats Shorewood. Page 11.
Community:
Santa & Elsa pose for photos, collect for food bank. Page 6.
INDEX BUSINESS
ARLINGTON — When the tree in Legion Park is lit, the sweaters are garishly festive and Santa is rolling down Olympic Avenue in a covered wagon, you know it’s the Hometown Holidays in Arlington. City recreation manager Sarah Lopez reported seeing more attendees than in previous years, lining the sidewalks for the Santa Parade at noon, and thronging the park for the tree-lighting that followed. “I don’t think the weather stopped people from coming in, since I saw lots of umbrellas,” Lopez said. The parade’s 20 entrants included a host of antique vehicle enthusiasts, among them the Sky Valley Tractor Club, who were new this SEE HOLIDAYS, PAGE 2
BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
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LEGALS
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OPINION
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WORSHIP
Santa waves to the crowds along Olympic Avenue during Arlington’s Hometown Holidays Dec. 5.
Arlington schools explain levy to community
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SPORTS
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
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Vol. 126, No. 17
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
Arlington schools superintendent Kris McDuffy addresses the Arlington City Council Dec. 7 about the levy renewal on the ballot Feb. 9.
ARLINGTON — After more than a month of addressing Arlington School District employees on the subject, superintendent Kris McDuffy spoke to the Arlington City Council Dec. 7 about the Renewal of Expiring Educational Programs and Operations Levy that’s on the ballot for Feb. 9. Although state funds cover 71 percent and federal funds cover 5 percent of school districts’ funding,
FRIDAY & $ SATURDAY MGAT
that still leaves 24 percent of their funding to be covered by local taxes and fees. McDuffy emphasized that the nearly $57 million levy on the ballot is not a new tax, but a renewal of the current tax that’s set to expire at the end of this year. The current levy rate is $3.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or approximately $720 per year on a $200,000 home. The renewal would reduce that rate to an estimated $3.56 per $1,000, or about $712 for the same home. The four-year levy is
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expected to collect roughly $13.3 million in 2017, $13.9 million in 2018, $14.5 million in 2019 and $15.1 million in 2020. Because she can only share the facts of the levy, McDuffy turned the podium over to retired attorney Dave Duskin, who’s been recruited to work on the levy campaign, so that he might persuade the audience of the levy’s merits. With telephones increasingly falling out of favor as a means of contacting potential supporters, Duskin pledged that the campaign’s
DINNER BUFFET
N O W - D E C E M B E R 1 9 Prime Rib, Steak & Dungeness Crab
outreach would be heavily driven by social media. “This district has been recognized at both the state and national levels for its effective and efficient fiscal practices,” Duskin said. “People need to be made aware of that.” When council member Chris Raezer asked what would happen if the levy lost, the consensus was that it would be “catastrophic.” McDuffy pointed out that 87 percent of the school district’s budget “is people,” SEE LEVY, PAGE 2
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