To the Editor:

Another year passes and another property tax increase from Whitehall-Coplay School District.

This year, our increase will be 3.22%, according to the Whitehall-Coplay Press article in the May 12 edition.

Several main factors can be attributed to the constant and unfair increases.

1. Our state legislature continues to play politics and ignore any action regarding the property tax issue. This unfair tax is especially hard on retirees who no longer have the financial ability to absorb these tax increases. Our local Whitehall legislator and state senator are not doing enough to advance reform. They will give you answers and excuses, but that is not acceptable.

2. Spending at our local district is out of control. This past year, the board approved a plan to build a new elementary school. To accomplish this, they plan to tear down the existing administration building, lease commercial office space for the administration staff, build a new school on the administration site and, finally, renovate the school being replaced to be an administration building.

A $30 million bond was issued to finance this project. Surely there is a better and more efficient way to spend taxpayer money.

I encourage the board to reduce spending and mandate department budgets be reduced from current levels and hold the line on hiring. Public entities are known for wasting money, and savings can easily be found if there is an appetite for savings. Public money should always be treated as if it were coming directly out of your own wallet. There are entirely too many wants that are thought of as needs at WCSD, and those budget requests need to be rejected.

3. Somehow, the charter school funding needs to be changed. The payments our school districts are making continue to increase. The charter schools need to be held accountable for their spending.

The charter school impact goes back to our state legislators to solve. We need a general assembly and state senate that want to solve problems. We don’t need photo ops and ribbon cuttings. We have enough highly paid seat warmers in Harrisburg.

In an era where inflation is at record highs, we need to do better - much better.

Bruce Charles

Whitehall