Do you own property? Have you noticed your tax bill increases? Part of the growth comes from “taxing districts.” Those districts house boards whose members are elected by voters. And they hold the power to place tax-raising levies on ballots, and they make blanket policies that may or may not reflect our values.

And that’s why participating in the May 18 election is vital.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the events of the past year, you’d know that the library board has imposed a mask mandate; that is, anyone who wants to visit the interior of the library must be masked, with no medical exceptions, even for children with learning disabilities that being forced to wear masks exacerbate.

That’s called discrimination. And that’s why Jalon Peters has stepped up to run for library board.

Jalon understands that one-size-fits-all policies are inadequate, and that restricting use of a taxpayer-funded entity is discriminatory.

As it stands, there’s no balance on the library board; its current makeup doesn’t reflect the diversity of Bonner County’s residents, and that’s what Jalon would bring to the position. He’s a champion of civil rights and low taxation, and will make decisions not based in emotion, but on current knowledge, which includes the fact that Panhandle Health District itself has lifted its county-wide mandate.

It’s time to bring balance to the library board. Please consider giving Jalon your vote on May 18.

VICTORIA ZEISCHEGG

Sandpoint