County Council approves putting ACS referendum on ballot

Jul 27, 2010 — The Herald Bulletin

Abbey Doyle

Jul. 27, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- ANDERSON, Ind. -- The second time around, the Madison County Council voted to certify a tax increase referendum for Anderson Community Schools to be placed on the November ballot.

The vote though still wasn't unanimous as Councilman Buddy Patterson voted against certifying the question, which would add an extra 55-cent tax to every $100 of assessed property value if passed by voters.

Patterson's concerns, he said, were that those who rent and would not have to pay the tax were allowed to vote and that senior citizens who no longer have school-aged children weren't exempt.

"I voted against it because I thought it was excessive," he said. "I took a survey over the last two weeks -- talking to those who were property owners -- and almost 100 percent said they were against it. I was not voting for myself but I was voting for them."

Councilmen Mike Phipps, John Bostic Jr., Larry Higgins and Council President Bill Savage all voted to certify the referendum. Councilman Larry Crenshaw wasn't at the meeting.

During the council's last meeting July 12, Phipps said he thought it was unfair that the newly elected members of the Anderson Community Schools board didn't have a say in the question and suggested that the issue be tabled for two weeks to give the board a chance to possibly change or decide not to go forward with the referendum. Four new members took office after the referendum was approved by the ACS board.

The school board met later that night and unanimously approved the same referendum as the previous board.

ACS Superintendent Dr. Felix Chow has said the referendum would bring in $6 million to $7 million in revenue for the school district each year.

A taxpayer whose property has an assessed value of $50,000 after all deductions, for example, would owe up to an extra $275 if the referendum passed. A majority of voters in the ACS district that includes Anderson, Richland and Union townships would have to approve it at the polls in November in order for the property tax to be enacted.

Contact Abbey Doyle, 640-4805, abbey.doyle@heraldbulletin.com.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0344-47384710