County Superintendents Promote Facilities Tax for Schools, Arnold Promotes 1/4 Cent Sales Tax Hike for County

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Published on March 3 2017 3:20 pm
Last Updated on March 3 2017 3:22 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The five public schools superintendents in Effingham County were on hand to promote the proposed county facilities tax to support school infrastructure, and a county board member who chairs the board's Tax and Finance Committee was present to promote a 1/4 cent sales tax at the First Friday Luncheon sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce.

Both tax questions will appear on the April 4 election ballots in Effingham County and both will be countywide questions.

(ALTAMONT SUPERINTENDENT JEFF FRITCHTNITCH)

Each of the superintendents spoke as to how the additional revenue would benefit their district. 

Altamont Unit 10 Superintendent Jeff Fritchtnitch said his district has already made building improvements, but said the revenue could help pay off the district indebtedness. Beecher City Unit 20 Superintendent Scott Cameron said his district recently made improvements to the junior-senior high school building that are being paid off. Dieterich Unit 30 Superintendent Cary Jackson said his district is in the same situation.

In the cases of those three districts, the increase in revenue would help pay off debt. 

Effingham Unit 40 and Teutopolis Unit 50 are in different situations.

In Effingham, Superintendent Mark Doan discussed the need to do something about the junior high building; either renovate it or replace it. Add to that, the vote Thursday night to make improvements to Central School and to Effingham High School. Those costs could also be covered by the facilities tax.

As for Teutopolis Superintendent Bill Fritcher, they have a high school building whose original portion was completed in 1929. That's almost 90 years ago. Add to that, the many levels in the high school building that make it tough for many students to navigate their way through schools. Fritcher said the cost to renovate the existing building is about the same as new construction. A decision on how to proceed could be coming at the Board's meeting later this month.

Here's our Greg Sapp's conversation with Bill Fritcher after the First Friday Luncheon...

Fritchtnitch said the tax would not be imposed on the purchase of vehicles, unprepared foods, drugs, or farm equipment or inputs. If the tax is passed, the revenue could be used to retiire debt, construction, architecture, high tech backbone (although NOT computers), and fire prevention and health and life safety work. Also suitable for the dollars: purchase of property, energy efficiencies, demolition work, roof repair and improvements to parking lots.

The money can be saved up over time, but cannot be used to pay salaries or operating costs.

Several of the superintendents said their school boards are on record or will be soon to pledge to abate property taxes or hold the line on those taxes if the sales tax is enacted.

For his part, Arnold said the County sees expenses going up and uncertainty with whether the State is going to meet its financial obligations to the counties. There is a desire by Board members to develop more of a surplus in case of emergencies and to continue expanding police protection through the County Sheriff's Department.

Arnold also reminded that the increase has a four-year sunset provision. In other words, if citizens don't like the tax increase and don't act to renew it, it will end.