Nebo School District voters have only one day left to decide whether to approve a $160 million bond, and opinions from both sides are plentiful.

Proponents of the new bond say it is the perfect time to build new schools, and all without a tax rate increase. But the bond's opponents say a recession is the worst time to levy a tax on citizens and that the bond is being pushed at a time when few will turn out to vote.

Royce Van Tassell, vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, released a statement Friday urging residents to vote against the bond. Van Tassell said the June election is an underhanded way of trying to pass a bond without the residents' participation. If Nebo School District was confident in the measure, they should have waited until November, when voter turnout is sure to be higher, he said.

"It seems all too clear that the Nebo School District doesn't want the taxpayers to weigh in on this," he said.

Holding the election in June during an off-year shows that the district wants to avoid any reflection on the subject before the vote, Van Tassell said. The district has also cut down polling location to seven from the usual 30, he said.

"Having seven polling places, people aren't going to know where to go, let alone know it's even out there," Van Tassell said.

The district needs to follow both the spirit and letter of election law, Van Tassell said. While the district continues to grow and new buildings will be needed, Van Tassell said it seems the district is trying to push the measure past voters quickly. Voters should oppose the measure, and Nebo can bring it back in November if it is good for voters, he said.

"The responsible vote is a vote against the bond on Tuesday," he said.

The bond will be a tax increase, even if it is not shown in rates, Van Tassell said, because the $160 million will be coming from voters. That is bad policy at a time when residents are struggling financially in the current economy.

Bruce Penland, president of the Utah Chapter of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, issued a statement this weekend in support of the measure. Penland said the average price in construction of a school has decreased by about $40 per square foot. Such a decrease has saved taxpayers millions of dollars, he said. Not only is the bond a strong fiscal decision, Penland said, but it will help to create more jobs for Utah County.

"Nebo school district should be applauded for having the foresight to ask their patrons to assist them in seizing the opportunity to build school facilities for less while helping the economy of Utah and the nation recover," he said.

Assistant superintendent in Nebo School District Rick Nielsen said many aspects of the bond were designed to save voters money. The cost of construction is much lower due to the economy and interest rates are low.

Although the residents would clearly foot the $160 million bill, passing the bond this year would allow the district to extend its current bond rather than increase rates, he said.

"We openly state that up front, that we're extending the life of the bonds for about another five years," Nielsen said.

With 1,000 new students each year, the district essentially needs the equivalent of one new elementary school each year. Passing the bond now will save money in the long run, because there are costs to growth even if schools aren't built. Building portables instead of a school also cost money, and they do not last as long, he said. Passing the bond in June also saves money because the district can avoid winter construction costs, and decreasing the number of polling places reduces costs on election day. Fewer polling places also makes it more convenient for voters, as their polling location will be easier to identify.

"We think that's going to help with voter turnout, and we think that's going to help people have a more positive experience while voting," he said.

As for a rushed election in June, Nielsen said the decision was a result of fewer options for the district. A bond election could be held on any Tuesday in the past, until that was reduced to four Tuesdays during the year before the 2004 election. Even then, Nielsen said elections were generally held in February, not November. In the 2004 election, the voter turnout was 19 percent, he said.

"Our voter turnout essentially mirrors that of primary elections," he said.

Nielsen said the district could not hold the election last November when there was high turnout for the presidential elections. District officials did not receive enrollment numbers until Oct. 1, which left little time to work on a ballot measure. Nielsen said district officials have sent out multiple fliers and met with various local organizations to help spread the word about the election.

"From what I know, people have had every opportunity to be informed," he said.

Spanish Fork resident Marvin Wharton, however, said he does not support the bond, and he fears not enough people will show up to keep it from passing.

Wharton said the district used the off-year election to ensure that only those with vested interests will vote. Although he received a flier about the bond, Wharton said he fears residents will just throw the fliers away and won't be informed.

Wharton said passing the bond is a bad idea in this economy because there is no telling what the future will tell. After living in various places, he said he could not think of anywhere that was improved by higher taxes.

"I don't think it's improved one iota since the time I went to school in the '30s," he said.