Autauga County school leaders release statement after tax hike defeat
Autauga County school leaders have released a statement following the defeat of a proposed property tax hike that would have funded school improvements.
With 100% of precincts reporting, unofficial results show voters turning down the proposal 61% to 39%, with more than 26,000 votes cast.
“Obviously, we are disappointed,” Autauga County School Superintendent Lyman Woodfin said. “We set out to get a mandate from the people, one way or another, and based on the results, our citizens have spoken. Property taxes are not on the table, so it’s back to square one to give our students and teachers what they need.”
The referendum would have collected an estimated $7 million in additional funding each year. School leaders hoped to use that money to hire teachers, staff and security, provide incentives to outstanding employees and renovate facilities.
The statement said the focus now shifts to balancing the budget by cutting money to various programs and cutting major expenses through possible school closures and layoffs.
The statement said the last approved property tax increase was more than 100 years ago when the newly formed school system was just getting off the ground.
“I want to reassure our students and our teachers. I know it feels like a gut punch, but we are going to figure it out. I will not rest; I will not stop looking. We are going to figure out what we have to do to give our students and teachers what they need,” Woodfin said.
The Autauga County Board of Education is scheduled to meet later this week to discuss the path forward.
“I want to thank everyone for their involvement and passion for our community and its students,” said Billy Hollon, chairman of the Autauga County Board of Education. “Throughout this process, there have been meaningful conversations regarding our strengths and weaknesses as a school system and stakeholders’ vision for Autauga County Schools. We will use these conversations to develop a plan.”
