Easley Proposes Limiting 1/2-Cent Sales Tax

1/2-Cent Sales Tax Would Expire When New Middle School Has Been Paid For

by Woody Jenkins, Editor

CENTRAL — On May 2, 2009, voters in Central went to the polls and approved three new taxes to pay for new school facilities.

Now school board member Will Easley, who authored the tax proposals, says a technical error in one of those taxes — the 1/2-cent sales tax — needs to be corrected in order to keep faith with the people of Central.  Easley says his intention was for the sales tax increase to be used solely and exclusively to construct the new Central Middle School.  His intention was for the tax to expire, once the middle school is paid for.  “That’s really how we sold it to the voters,” he said.

However, the wording of the tax proposition actually allows the sales tax to stay on the books permanently, Easley said.  “That’s not what we intended, and I feel it is an unintended breach of faith,” he said.

On Monday night, Will Easley will ask the Central Community School Board to place on the Nov. 17 ballot a proposition, which would say that the 1/2-cent sales tax would not be permanent but would expire when the bonds for the middle school are paid off.

“This school board has no intention of using the 1/2-cent sales tax for anything other than the middle school, but if we don’t take this action, a future school board could keep this tax on the books simply by taking no action,” he said.

“I think the position of our school board is that the voters should be consulted and their approval secured anytime a tax is proposed, and it should be for a specific purpose and for a limited time period.  If this proposal passes the board Monday night and is approved by the voters of Central on Nov. 17, then the sales tax will be reduced by 1/2 cents when the middle school is paid for,” he said.

Supt. Mike Faulk said Wednesday evening that the Easley proposal simply “keeps faith with the taxpayers of Central.”

The school board members are Jim Gardner, Will Easley, Sharon Browning, Jim Lloyd, David Walker, Roxanne Atkinson, and Ruby Foil.