Yes to school, golf requests

One money issue is facing local voters in the Nov. 3 election.

Officials at Kalispell Public Schools are asking voters to renew the district's building reserve and technology levies.

The schools are asking for $6.9 million - a $2.8 million elementary levy and a $4.1 million high-school levy.

That's not exactly chump change, but those are the same amounts from the last five-year building-reserve cycle. And because of higher property values, taxes actually will go down slightly for the building-reserve levies (around $4 to $6 a year).

The funds aren't large enough to build new schools, but they might build or remodel classrooms, improve schools' technological capacities or make buildings safer for students.

Anyone who has been in a classroom recently to see the marvels of smartboard technology will understand why the needs of today's schools and today's students go way beyond the chalk and erasers of the past.

The building-reserve funds not only provide plenty of technology for the classrooms, but they also pay for building and maintenance projects.

Everything from boilers to new roofs to part of the Legends Stadium renovation has come from building-reserve funds. Without those funds, our schools would be in worse condition.

Since 1982, Kalispell school voters have generously endorsed the building-reserve levies. It's time to do so again.

DON'T BE FOOLED into thinking the ballot issue in Kalispell about the new 20-year lease for Buffalo Hill Golf Course is a money issue. It isn't. It's just about confirming a long-standing relationship with a good friend.

The golf course is managed by the Kalispell Golf Association, which wants to spend between $1.5 million and $2 million on maintenance and improvements on the popular recreational facility.

The Golf Association has eight years left on its current lease, but naturally wants reassurance of a long-term commitment from the city before spending that large sum of money on improvements.

We heartily endorse this measure, as it will continue a relationship which has flourished over the years and actually ADDS money to the city coffers through lease fees and also preserves a historic greenbelt that greatly increases the quality of life in Kalispell.