By Staff
I would like to correct The Brewton Standard on something that was printed in their newspaper concerning the special election for a renewal of a 4 mill education tax in Sept.
I went to the July 10 Escambia County Commission meeting to ask that they reconsider spending $50,000 on a special election in September because it can be done in the November general election at no cost to the taxpayer.
The Brewton Standard quoted me as saying that I was for the tax. I did not say that I was for or against the tax but I did say that I do not have a problem with it.
The two newspapers that reported this meeting put a different spin on what I heard.
First I don't think the comissioners gave me a yes or no answer on the request that they reconsider spending $ 50,000 on a special election when it can be done for no cost seven weeks later. They did tell me that a group had made a strong case for spending the money and that special elections have always been done this way (In my mind &#8220we have always done it this way”) is a cop out answer for just about anything. It's really no answer at all.
In essence what they are asking of the county taxpayers is let us spend $50,000 needlessly, vote a 4 mill tax on yourselves and they will pay the $50,000 back with the tax we voted on ourselves at 4 percent over a year period. That is the bottom line - I don't care what kind of spin they put on it.
As for no one but me being at the meeting to ask that they not spend $50,000 needlessly, I noticed that no one was there to defend them spending the money either.
I would bet if you were to ask the public should we spend $50,000 on a special election in September or wait seven weeks and get it done for nothing they would overwhelmingly say let's wait.
Harvey Kingsland
Brewton resident