The Elmore County Commission unanimously voted on Monday to send a proposal to nearly double millage rates to the Alabama Legislature. The proposal, from the Elmore County Board of Education, is to increase the ad valorem tax, which would increase property taxes for Elmore County residents by increasing the millage rate.
Rep. Mike Holmes (R–Wetumpka) is actively opposing the proposal, saying that his questions regarding the purpose of the funds have not been answered.
Holmes told 1819 News that the proposal would cause an increase for Elmore County residents from eight mills to 15 mills, nearly doubling the property tax. According to the County Commission, the tax funds would be used for education, public safety, public health, and broadband.
The proposal must first go to the Alabama legislature to be voted on, after which the governor must sign it. If it passes the legislature, it will be put on a ballot in a special election to be voted on by Elmore County residents.
“It doesn’t affect me much,” Holmes said. "But as the people’s representative, I ran on a low-tax platform. They’re not answering all my questions.”
The commission hosted a public hearing on the proposal on Monday evening in which supporters and opponents were able to speak. The first to take to the podium were those in opposition. Many said they do not want to be forced to pay additional property tax while others said they did not have enough clarity on the proposal to make a clear decision.
Becky Gerritson, from Eagle Forum of Alabama, spoke against the measure, delivering a letter written by Holmes, who could not attend the commission meeting. Holmes stated that he has still not received answers to his questions regarding the purposes for which the additional tax revenue will be used.
Gerritson also gave personal remarks asking the commission to delay voting on the issue until further clarity could be given.
“We in this room voted you to be our County Commissioners,” Gerritson said. "It is your job to take proposals from the school board or other agencies and comb through them and look through them; we don’t have time to do that; that’s not our job. We are relying on you. I agree with Mike [Holmes], there is not enough substantial information of where this money is going, especially in a crisis of finances that we are in, and it’s going to get worse.”
Jackie Austin, an Elmore County Resident, also spoke opposing the bill. According to Austin, the County Commission has not addressed the current “failing” school system issues, and further funding will not address the prevailing issues.
“My problem with y’all is we have a failing school system,” Austin said. “We have a 51% positivity rating. Until y’all deal with that, we’re not dealing with anything. You’ve got to start supporting these teachers as well, which you do not do. Everything I’ve seen in your plans has no amount of money specified for anything. That’s not the way you do business. If y’all can’t be here, you can resign. Let’s get some business people on [the County Commission] and run this like a business because it is a business.”
Leisa Finley, with the Elmore County Board of Education, spoke in favor of the bill.
“Years ago, I worked in Wetumpka High School with the Board of Education,” Finley said. “I could go through stories and stories with how people have described to you or have already said things about the lack of whatever in the school system. But all I’m hearing is my constituents say, or I have 100 people call me or whoever these people are, let them vote: that’s the biggest issue here. We’re not here to debate how good or bad our schools are, how good our superintendent is, or how bad our board is, or how anybody’s working."
“I have seen over 30 years in Elmore County schools, administration after administration, board member after board member, squeeze a penny and get every bit they can get out of it over and over and over again for the students of our school system,” one resident said. “So, I have no doubt that, given the opportunity, they will continue to be, and we will continue to be good stewards of that money. And all I ask, again, is to give people the opportunity to vote.”
Henry Hines, Elmore County Commissioner for District one, spoke to defend the indoor exercise facility mentioned in the proposal.
“We have a problem with our kids this day and time,” Hines said. “If you look around at them, they’re all overweight. They need exercise facilities. And on a cold wintery day, they set up the stands of the gymnasium, or they walk around in there, that’s not a lot of exercise. But if you have an indoor facility that they get in there and jog around and exercise and do all of it, then that’s a great thing for our kids and their health. And that’s my number-one priority is their safety, their education, and their health; those three things work hand-in-hand.”
Troy Stubbs, Chairman of the County Commission, said he was disappointed in people disparaging and saying negative things about the young people in the county.
“I think there are issues that we face in Elmore County,” Stubbs said. “There are young people in schools that don’t have certain things or that act in ways that they shouldn’t act. But they will become what we tell them they are. So, if we come to a meeting like this, to a podium, and all we do is say negative things about everything related to the schools, that is what they’ll become.”
All five commission members voted in favor of the proposal, and the legislative delegation will present the proposal to the Alabama legislature for deliberation.
The millage increase proposal has drawn the attention of many within the River Region due to a similar proposal being currently considered by the Autauga County Commission.
County taxation rates are computed in "mills" (a tenth of a cent) but are sometimes quoted in dollars per hundreds or thousands, which means that the mill level determines the percentage of property taxes you owe based on the market value of your properties.
A detailed explanation of Alabama millage rates can be found at the Alabama Department of Labor.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
