Tuscaloosa Votes Down Proposed Property Tax Increase To Fund City Schools

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa citizens on Tuesday voted down a proposed property tax increase that would have provided additional funding to Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS).

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Unofficial results show that 5,704 votes or 53.29% were cast in opposition to the measure, while 4,999 voted in favor of the property tax increase.

The special election saw a turnout of just over 16% of 64,835 registered voters.

Turnout was highest in District 3, with 4,184 voters casting ballots for a 33% turnout, while the lowest turnout came in District 4, which reported only 4% turnout

Here's a breakdown of the districts

TCS Superintendent Mike Daria released a statement after the election was called in favor of the opposition, saying the measure failed by 5.6%.

"As a result, the district and board must make some difficult decisions to balance our budget and meet the demands of increasing expenses and inflation," he said. "As we’ve mentioned previously, we will be able to continue our current services this year and into next school year, thanks to the wise financial decisions that built up our reserve over the last four years. However, the reserve will draw down quickly. We believe we can make the necessary budget cuts through attrition and careful planning."

Daria went on to say that school programs or services may look a little differently in the future, but reiterated the system's commitment to giving its students the best education possible.

"That commitment has not and will not change," he said. "We want to thank our community for the meaningful conversations we have had about the future of TCS over the past several months. From informational sessions and board meetings to various engagement opportunities, we have seen first-hand the care and commitment our community has for our schools and students. We will keep you updated as we determine next steps. In the meantime, thank you for your support of the Tuscaloosa City Schools."

Secure the Future, the PAC in favor of the property tax, also commented following the results, saying the group is saddened by the "narrow" results, in falling short by about 600 votes.

Still, the grassroots group said it felt it made a strong case to the community for new funding for Tuscaloosa City Schools.

The battle for votes became a personal one in the lead-up to the election, with one grassroots PAC in support of the increase being made up of former educators while the opposition PAC was funded primarily by developers and business owners with extensive rental property holdings.

"We are saddened by tonight’s narrow results, falling short by about 600 votes, and feel we made an excellent case to the community for new funding. But, we know tonight’s outcome will not deter our outstanding administrators and teachers from delivering the best possible education for our students.

"Although we are disappointed, this defeat only strengthens our unwavering commitment to the schoolchildren of Tuscaloosa," Michele Coley, Secure the Future chairwoman said. "We have an excellent team of administrators and teachers serving our system, and I am confident they will find ways to build upon the incredible progress our schools have made over the years.

"Our system is unfortunately going to face some financial challenges now, and we do not envy the hard decisions that the TCS board and leadership will have to make," she added. "However, we know that tomorrow, TCS’s dedicated educators will wake up and continue to roll up their sleeves giving their best and creating the best for our children."

Tuscaloosa businessman Steven Rumsey, who is the board chair of the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority, was one of the original organizers behind the opposition PAC and told Patch Tuesday night that his camp was "glad this spirited debate is over."

"Both sides made great arguments for and against [the measure]," he said. "Tomorrow is the beginning of healing and it is imperative that all Tuscaloosans come together to solve the many issues facing our school system and systems nationwide."

He then said that while TCS will have to do without the additional revenue that would have come from the proposed property tax increase, those against the measure believe that something meaningful occurred tonight that will be evident with the benefit of hindsight in years to come.

"This referendum provided a great opportunity for the citizens to be heard and take part in their government," Rumsey said. "We believe the overarching message was that the people want accountability for their hard-earned tax dollars. They want a return on investment, while, at the same time, acknowledging many of the programs outlined led by Secure the Future have merit."

Rumsey went on to say that, like most Americans during these stressful economic times, there will be a belt-tightening that could end up being healthy and will serve as an opportunity to bring the community together to agree on the best way to move forward.

"Failure is not an option," he said. "We look forward to working together in any capacity the [Tuscaloosa City Board of Education} and superintendent feel will be helpful."

Had it passed, TCS said the proposed increase would have generated around $17.25 million a year in additional revenue earmarked for the city school system starting in 2025, with the city's property tax millage rate increasing by 11.5 mills.

As Patch previously reported, TCS said it intended to use the additional revenue to fund universal pre-K, improve security, add additional school resource officers, fund the Summer Learning program, pay raises for teachers and other initiatives.

With the failure of the proposed property tax increase, TCS has said at multiple turns that it will now be faced with fewer reading interventionists, growing class sizes, a decline in access to school nurses, limited enhancements to security measures, reduced accessibility to career and technical program, scaled back funding for arts and music, and reduced funding for athletics.

Nevertheless, the vote was much closer, albeit still technically a landslide, when compared to the wide margin of defeat for a similar property tax referendum by the Tuscaloosa County School System last year.

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