• School and library boards rely heavily on the unquestioning support of taxpayers to approve bond measures. However, after the Redmond Library tore out a nearly new and lovely library interior to revamp the design to new thoughts on library “flow,” I started asking more questions about bond measures for libraries and schools.

The funds for this work were misappropriated from a successful bond measure for construction of a parking facility for this branch. This is NOT what voters approved. The money should have been returned to taxpayers — better still, the library should have explored other options BEFORE putting a measure on the ballot. Instead, post-election, they negotiated a deal with the court to use the lot behind the library on 160th Avenue Northeast. Pretty simple.

I concur with others who have stopped approving bonds on good faith alone. Both school districts and libraries are important, but that makes it even more critical for them to use constraint and manage well. We look forward to evidence of both in future bond measures, but rewarding for historic deficits in both is the wrong message.

D. Mueller, Redmond

• I am voting “yes” on the Lake Washington School District’s upcoming bond on April 22. Both of my kids went to Dickinson Elementary, Evergreen Junior High and graduated from Redmond High School. My kids won’t directly benefit from this bond but the community will, and I support my community.

Two of the three schools my children attended have been rebuilt or expanded because voters believed in providing my kids with excellent learning environments. I want to thank those who voted to support these improvements. My kids and others benefited.

People move to this area because of the excellent schools and I want to ensure that this continues. We live in an area that has seen tremendous growth in families moving here —Redmond Ridge and north Redmond are growing — and our schools are feeling the pressure and need more space.

I wish that building new schools didn’t fall so heavily on property owners but that is how our state funds schools. The bottom line is that this is a growing district, which is good for the economies of Redmond, Kirkland and Sammamish and for property owners, but this means that more space is needed for kids.

I hope you will join me in voting “yes” on the bond on April 22. I thank those who helped provide great schools for my kids over the last 17 years. Recently my son graduated from college and found a full-time job in his field, and in the area, too. Thank you to the district and the voters in our community for your part in his success.

Peg Hunt, Redmond business owner and community volunteer