By By KERRY WHIPPLE BEAN – Publisher
Escambia County voters will go to the polls Sept. 12 for a special election on school funding.
On the ballot will be two ad valorem tax renewals for city and county schools - a 1-mill county-wide tax and a 3-mill district tax.
County commissioners approved the special election in their meeting Monday.
City and county school officials had asked for a separate special election to avoid confusion in November, when a statewide measure on the ballot will ask Alabama voters to approve a 10-mill minimum ad valorem tax in each county. Escambia County voters already approved a 10-mill tax for schools in 2003.
Having both the local renewal and the statewide measure on the November ballot &#8220could confuse voters,” White said.
White said he also wanted to make sure city and county school systems had an equal chance at the renewal, since Brewton voters could have their own special election.
Commission Chairman David Stokes said the special election is &#8220for a very special reason” and encouraged voters to support the tax election.
Brewton School Board member Terrill Neal thanked the commissioners for their support - and said the school boards' job now is to get voters to the polls.
Tax renewals need 60 percent of the vote to pass.
In other business Monday: