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On May 4, the voters of Canutillo ISD narrowly passed a $386.2 million school bond even though the Board of Trustees failed to balance their own budget.
The total voter turnout for the Uniform Election was a miserable 4.75% yet nearly every resident of Canutillo ISD will face a significant tax increase.
This past Tuesday, Canutillo ISD’s Board of Trustees adopted a tax rate of $1.1552 per $100 of valuation for FY 2025, a reduction of a half-cent from the tax rate set last year.
However, because of the sharp increase in property valuations, the Board of Trustees blew past the no-new-revenue tax rate, so much so that homeowners, on average, will pay an additional $281 in property tax.
Over the life of a 30-year mortgage (not adjusted for inflation), the owner of an average-priced home in Canutillo ISD will pay an additional $8,430 in property tax!
This inconvenient little fact has thrown Canutillo ISD into damage-control mode, with Superintendent Dr. Pedro Galaviz issuing a press release claiming:
“We continue to be good stewards of the taxpayers in Canutillo, and our tax rate continues to decrease because of the unprecedented growth our community is experiencing. We had anticipated a slight increase in the tax rate because of the passage of the Bond in May, but fortunately we were able to bring the board a slight decrease.”
Once again, the leader of a local taxing entity is promoting the lie that a lower tax rate means a lower tax burden.
Dr. Galaviz knows he is dishonest but cannot help himself. His need to deceive the voters of his school district for political advantage is greater than his desire to tell the truth.
But his mendacious public statements will not stop his constituents from suffering the largest school tax increase in Canutillo ISD history.
The inevitable result will be outrage (although ultimately the voters have only themselves to blame). Moreover, the increase will incentivize residents of Canutillo ISD to pack up and leave and for businesses to establish themselves elsewhere.
What is truly sad is that the $386.2 million in new spending will do nothing to increase the quality of instruction or stem the rapid decline in student enrollment.
The voters of Canutillo ISD deserve honesty from the leader of their school district.
Dr. Galaviz should tender his resignation and step aside for a superintendent who will tell the truth about tax rates and bond issues.
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