In general I am very skeptical of the need for higher taxes.

My knee jerk reaction to suggestions for higher gas taxes, implementation of a state income tax or increased federal income taxes is not just “no” it is “hell no.”

I have a hard time understanding how 28 percent of my income is not enough now! However, there are occurrences when infrastructure needs that are demonstrable, have financial limits and are administered by trustworthy public servants, that I can be persuaded. That is why I support the Tahoma School District capital improvement bond.

Lake Wilderness Elementary was designed for 550 students yet is home to over 1100 students. Out of 1,002 elementary schools in the state, Lake Wilderness is the largest. Overcrowding and inadequate facilities within our district are undeniable. We pack them in portables and inefficient facilities like sardines.

As a result we have the first, fourth, and ninth largest elementary schools in the state. We simply cannot put any more children in our current facilities. Aside from building we are faced with the only other alternative of year round school.

Maple Valley is desirable as a place to live because of its schools performance in spite of its facilities. Tahoma School District’s performance metrics are among the highest in the state. That is one reason why I moved my family here 16 years ago.

We have been named as one of the best places to raise a family by multiple publications and realtors advertise the fact that a property sits within the Tahoma School District.

However, without an adequate learning environment how long can that be maintained? Families evaluating our increasingly overcrowded schools are going to hesitate to purchase homes here. And attracting top notch teachers will become more and more difficult.

Even if you have no children in our school district or have a vested interest in education, you should support the construction bond for purely economic reasons.

Maple Valley residents need a recovery of home values since the recession. It is an imperative for many who one day hope to sell their homes. Because of the time frame when Maple Valley grew it is estimated that 43 percent of us have no equity or are underwater on our mortgages. Home values are appreciating once again but that is not guaranteed to continue. And the gap to get us back to pre-recession values is still large.

The perception of the quality of our community is an important factor in that recovery. The variation in increase between communities in home appreciation is large, some much faster and some slower. Passage of the construction bond will spur that appreciation. Look at the increase property tax from the construction bond as an investment in the value of your home. That investment is estimated to be about $36 a month on a home valued at $300,000. If the appreciation of home values due to a desirable school district only increase 1 percent on a $300,000 home that would be $3,000 a year. Your return on investment is $432 in increased property taxes into $3,000 home appreciation for a 694 percent return.

Of course there are many reasons which cause home values to appreciate and desirable schools are only one. But this is the only reason you can vote on this fall. Vote for the recovery of your home value if nothing else.

Leslie Burberry

Maple Valley