POSTED: Friday, April 15, 2011 - 5:40pm
UPDATED: Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 10:35pm
SOCORRO - People are building and buying more and more homes in the Socorro Independent School District. School leaders say 1200 new students join the district every year, and that's why they need 297-million dollars.
"We've just arrived at a place, at a cross roads, where short term solutions will no longer suffice, and we're going to have to build additional schools to support the enrollment," Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre.
Dr. De La Torre says the price of the bond sounds intimidating, but he says when it's broken down to what each taxpayer would pay it's not so bad.
"The average home in our district is valued at $120,000.00. So, for that homeowner they're looking at approximately a $4.97 monthly increase in their property tax rate," he said.
Most people we spoke to in Socorro say that amount is still too high.
"That's still too much as it is we pay a lot on taxes and the same thing with the gas prices going up, and they want us to pay more property taxes? That's just a lot," Darlene Flores said.
"There's a lot of people who can't afford their taxes, so how are they going to... As for [about] 300 [million], that's too much for the community," Martha Ostrander said.
"As long as it's for the kids, the future of the kids, no problem," Edward Aguilar said.
"Man, that's a pretty chunk of money to be asking for. I mean we need it, but they should go a little bit at a time," Chayo Apodaca said.
"With the gas prices and everything going up it's not going to be possible," Ashly Ostrander said.