West Fork board addresses taxation mistake

• West Fork taxpayers charged more than approved amount on PPEL levy for past 3 budget years

     The West Fork Community School District has collected almost $340,000 more than the state-approved amount during the past three budget years due to a recently discovered tax error.

     The school board addressed the issue with the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) during its meeting Monday night. Superintendent Darrin Strike explained that while preparing financial documents for the new wellness center, it was discovered that the district has been assessing taxpayers $1 per $1,000 of property valuation for the PPEL levy, rather than the state-dictated $0.67.

     This means that the school has inadvertently overcharged district taxpayers a total of $339,237.19 since 2012. The error is the result of a mistake in the Department of Management database, which went unnoticed until the school’s finances were examined by Piper Jaffrey & Company.

     Read the full article in the November 19 edition of the papers.