Dale County Commission OKS election to support schools

Authorizing an election to renew a tax that has supported school students in Dale County for more than 100 years was unanimous at the Dale County Commission meeting Oct. 26.

The Dale County Commission voted by individual voice vote unanimously to allow the renewal to be voted on Jan. 11, 2022.

“This is a renewal. This is not a new tax,” stressed Dale County Schools Superintendent Ben Baker who spoke on behalf of area superintendents who were at the meeting in support of Baker’s request to the commission. “Every 30 years, the property taxes that support the school systems and students in Dale County have to be placed before the qualified voters in Dale County for renewal.”

Daleville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Stamps, Enterprise City Schools Superintendent Dr. Zel Thomas, Ozark City Schools Superintendent Reeivice Girtman and Dothan City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dennis Coe attended the commission meeting in support of Baker’s request.

“Let me make sure everybody hears that word—renewal,” Baker said. “This is not a new tax. This is to continue a tax that has been on the books for decades.

“Because I promise you, if this was a new tax, the Baker family would be against it,” he added. “This is a renewal.”

“That is true,” said Dale County Attorney Henry Steagall as he provided the history of the tax in support of education in Dale County. “On July 13, 1920, the Dale County Commission approved and levied a 1 mil county wide tax and a 3 mil county wide tax for education.

“Last year on July 13 was the 100th anniversary of the Dale County Commission levying these two county taxes which started off as a 1 mil and a 3 mil tax but in 1979, the law allowed a one-time increase to 4 mils for a total of 5 mils,” he added.

In 1962, state legislature passed a law that said that every 30 years the people had to re-vote on the issue of whether to renew the existing tax.

“In 1962, the voters of Dale County approved the 1 mil county wide tax and the 3 mil county wide tax,” he said. “In 1992, they approved another 30 years and so here we are 30 years later facing the expiration of these county wide taxes on Sept. 30, 2022.

“I want to say the same thing I said in 1992,” Steagall told those attending the commission meeting. “This is just too important to the schools. It is their lifeblood.

“The schools have got to have it and it’s very important,” Steagall stressed. “As the county attorney, I would like to recommend that the commission call for this election as requested and then let the people vote.”

“Today I respectfully ask that the county commission take up this matter and pass the needed resolutions to call for an election on Jan. 11, 2022,” Baker said. “The ballot would include all or some of the following tax renewals depending on where the voter lives. They include a 1 mil county wide tax that will impact all five school systems that serve the students of Dale County, a 4 mil district tax that will impact four of the school systems that serve the students of Dale County and a 3 mil district tax that will impact one of the school systems.” The city of Daleville is the single municipality assessing a 3 mil district tax in support of schools in the city.

“That sounds like a lot of taxes, and to this conservative land owner, that sounds like a lot of taxes but again, this is a renewal that comes up every 30 years to support the students of the school systems in Dale County,” Baker said, adding that he was submitting resolutions from the Daleville City Schools, Dale County Schools, Ozark City Schools, Enterprise City Schools and Dothan City Schools Boards of Education in support of the election.

He also submitted the required petition for the county wide taxes with 200 signatures from Dale County landowners and 200 signatures from qualified voters.

“The school systems of Dale County appreciate your support in calling for an election on Jan. 11, 2022 in Dale County, to give the voters of Dale County an opportunity to vote to renew and continue to support the property taxes that support the students in Dale County,” Baker said. “We’d appreciate it if you make sure your families, your friends and your constituents understand that this is a renewal. This is not a new tax.”

The next meeting of the Dale County Commission is Nov. 9 in the Dale County Government Building in Ozark. A work session begins at 10 a.m. and is followed immediately by a voting meeting. Both meetings are open to the public.