SMOKEY POINT — Rather than pitching their measures separately, Arlington and Lakewood school superintendents Kris McDuffy and Michael Mack made their case jointly for their replacement levies to the Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce Jan. 12.

“It’s not often that you have two superintendents tag-teaming like this,” Mack said. “But Arlington and Lakewood are all one community, with many of the same businesses.”

McDuffy and Mack estimated that their respective educational programs and operations levies account for 24 percent of their districts’ general operating budgets, so they both described it as “critical” that those levies pass feb. 9. Arlington’s levy is nearly $57 million, while Lakewood’s levy is nearly $26.6 million.

“We pride ourselves on being good stewards of your resources,” McDuffy told chamber members. “Not only will the replacement levy’s rate remain level over the next four years, but it will even represent a reduction of where we are now.”

Arlington’s levy rate is $3.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or approximately $720 per year on a $200,000 home. The renewal would reduce that rate to an estimated $3.56 per $1,000, or about $712 for the same home.

Mack likewise promised that Lakewood’s replacement levy rate would remain at or below the levels currently levied on taxpayers, starting at approximately $3.18 per $1,000 in 2017, and increasing to no more than $3.22 by 2020.

Although Lakewood is also asking voters to approve a nearly $2.9 million capital projects and technology levy, it would see an even smaller increase, from 34 cents per $1,000 in 2017 to 35 cents in 2020.

“You’ll see continuous improvement in school programs while your tax rates stay mostly the same,” Mack said. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m more excited, because Lakewood has a good history of passing these measures.”