Like many Maple Valley residents, I moved to this area years ago because of its natural beauty and wide open spaces. What sealed the deal was its great small town feel and its highly regarded Tahoma School District.

I did not move here for the “big box” style shopping and I will argue that those who are hoping to bring that to our community should instead move to one of the many nearby cities that offer the variety and convenience of shopping they desire.

I’m writing this letter out of concern that we are fast headed the way of our nearby neighbors that have become densely populated and congested with traffic running through their once quaint towns.

We elect our officials and entrust them to look out for our best interests and to protect and preserve our community values. However, I believe we need to recalibrate our direction and possibly even look to our Black Diamond neighbors and borrow a strategy out of their playbook.

For far too long, big developers have operated on the premise that the most profit could be gained by heading to small towns that offer relatively cheap land and little resistance to their demands.

Bottom lines are squeezed by building to minimum codes and inadequate investment to the surrounding community infrastructure.

We have to ask ourselves the question of whether the need to vote our taxes higher with the current school bond proposal is because the additional tax base and developer contributions were inadequate or was it squandered through inefficiency and abuse?

There are many community members that agree that there are problems within our school district we just don’t agree with the proposed solution of giving more money that may end up only growing the problem.

It is counter intuitive to continue to allow developers to take profits from our community and then walk away with the residents left to deal with the urban sprawl.

Even if the vocal portion of our community is successful in rallying to raise our property taxes by a substantial percentage it only pushes the overcrowding issue out a few more years.

It makes sense that developers are attracted to communities with a strong academic environment which will in turn attract more developers, more families and yes more overcrowding at our schools.

It is a cycle that needs to be addressed by placing the burden where it belongs, not by raising the taxes of already overburdened property owners who gladly step up to their responsibility by paying their fair share, and staying active within the community.

As responsible citizens it is important to look at all sides of an issue before we vote; not just the side that has been characterizing  our schools as unpromising and doomed if we don’t vote to increase our taxes.

Our school district has outstanding educators, modern  facilities and the brightest student bodies in the nation. Taxing a house valued at $350,000 for an additional $500 per year for the next 20 years is not the answer to the issues of overcrowding in our schools.

I have children in the school district, Maple Valley is my home and I don’t want to see it go the same direction as nearby shopping districts.

Send a message to our elected officials and vote no to raising our taxes that won’t solve the root cause of our overcrowded schools. At the same time you will be saying no to self interested corporate developers looking to make a quick dollar on the back of responsible and hardworking Maple Valley families.

Jack Miller

Ravensdale