As the Senate race between Doug Jones and Roy Moore starts to take shape, citizens of Baldwin County will have another consideration on their mind come December; whether or not they should renew the one-mill levy that is up for a vote.
As reported by WKRG News, the one-mill levy is a system used by local governments to raise money for various expenses. The price each citizen owes is assessed by their property value. For citizens in Baldwin County, one dollar of every thousand dollars of their property value would go to benefit the school system.
In a statement by Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler, he said:
“We’re not cheerleading, and we’re not going to be campaigning for any tax renewal, but before it expires in January, we feel the voters need to make this decision. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t let the voters decide. This system has worked hard over the past couple of years to implement innovative and conservative management programs to save the taxpayers money and do more with less. I hope the voters recognize the effort we’ve put into focusing on academics and better financial management. Ultimately, I trust the taxpayers to make the best decision, and we will live with their answer.”
Many Baldwin County residents dislike the idea of high taxes, however, they understand the importance of ensuring education has the funding it needs. In an interview with WKRG news, Baldwin County Resident June Hayes said, “If the one dollar goes to the schools, I do approve of that.”