School Split Tax Referendum Vote

By News 5

Published: Mon, March 12, 2007 - 1:03 pm

The polls open at 7:00 Tuesday morning in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for an important vote on the future of education in those cities.

Voters there will decide whether to approve a property tax increase to form a school system separate from the Baldwin County School System.

John Giannini of J and M Tackle in Orange Beach has signs on his business supporting the tax increase for the separate school system.

Giannini said, "I don't like what's going on in part of the Baldwin County School System. We need our own little school system down here to where we can monitor and control what takes place."

But other people feel differently.

Wade Nicholas of Orange Beach said, "I think its not right for most of the people down here like me. I don't even have kids or anything."

Larry Robinson, also of Orange Beach, said, "The city can't run their city, so I don't think they can run a school board."

And what effect have the last minute commercials and campaigns had on swaying opinions-

Robinson said, "I made up my mind when they first started trying to do this thing."

Wilson Pierce of Orange Beach said, "I kind of had a hankling to vote no in the beginning, and then it got stronger as it went on, reading the newspaper and seeing the commercials."

The property tax increase would amount to an extra seven and a half mills.

That would add up to $75 more a year for a home assessed at $100,000.

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