In order for voters in Fayette County to decide if their property tax should go to pay for increased school safety, a petition with nearly 14,000 signatures needs to be turned into the clerk’s office by 4:00 today.
The plan is to add a five cent tax for every $100 of property value to raise $13.5 million. It would increase the average homeowner’s taxes by about $88 a year. The money would help pay for the proposed 10-point safety plan at Fayette County Public Schools. The money would help pay for increased security, mental health professionals, metal detectors, social media monitoring and other measures.
Petition organizers say the district should use the $30 million contingency fund to pay for the safety plan but School Superintendent Manny Caulk released a statement saying “It is irresponsible and misleading to suggest that a long-term solution like the comprehensive 10 point safety plan could be paid for with one time money like the contingency fund” and that “at a time when safety is number one for our families, it is imperative that we address these issues in a permanent financially responsible way.”
The measure was approved by the Fayette County School Board earlier this summer.