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BOE asks city to join tax dispute
Published Wednesday, November 18, 2009
After almost a year of unsuccessfully lobbying the state for collection of an additional 3 mills in ad valorem tax, the Andalusia Board of Education passed a resolution Wednesday to ask Mayor Earl Johnson and City Attorney Mark Christensen to join in the effort.
The BOE insists that the Andalusia City Schools should be receiving an additional 3 mills (a mill is equal to $1 on every $10,000 of taxable property) in ad valorem tax, which should be collected by the Covington County revenue commissioner. Currently, the ACS receives 7 mills from the county, 7.5 mills from the city for “salaries” and 2.5 mills from the city for “debt retirement.”
Under Amendment 2, passed by statewide election in November 2006, all school systems in Alabama are required to receive at least 10 mills from local funding for “general education purposes.” Andalusia Superintendent Dr. Beverly McAnulty said the state’s argument is that Andalusia already receives 17 mills (the 7 mills from the county and the 10 from the city), but she argues the 10 mills from the city should not count toward the 10-mill minimum, because those city mills are earmarked for specific purposes.
The BOE has repeatedly asked Attorney General Troy King’s office for an opinion concerning the matter, but have so far been unable to get a ruling. The BOE first granted McAnulty the authority to seek the attorney general’s opinion at the Nov. 17, 2008, meeting.
“Before (Amendment 2) passed, the only thing the state counted was the 7 mills the county collects,” McAnulty said. “Now, the state says we already have 17 mills, so they don’t need to collect another 3 mills for us. We challenged it, and that’s where we got back ‘no opinion.’ The city now wants to challenge it with us.
“Our mayor is a lawyer, and he believes that working with our attorney (Bill Alverson) and the city’s attorney (Mark Christensen), we can get this resolved.”
Board member Dr. Bill King said he felt the citizens of Andalusia were misled into voting for Amendment 2.
“At the time, we had this big public push and the people voted for it because we were told we’d get the extra (3 mills) because we were eligible for it,” he said. “Now, it seems like the state is saying, ‘Oh, you’re not eligible.’”
McAnulty said 3 mills would be equivalent to approximately $300,000 annually for the ACS. A taxpayer who owns property worth $100,000 would pay approximately an extra $16.50 in annual county property taxes.
If the state rules that ACS should receive an additional 3 mills from the county, she said it would only go into effect the year the ruling is passed — the ACS would not receive 3 mills from years dating back to 2006.
McAnulty added the city would still keep providing the 10 mills of local funding, regardless of what the state rules.
“The city’s not going to take our mills away,” she said. “They’re just going to make sure we’re getting what we’re supposed to be getting from the state.”
Comments
Posted by rlb1940 (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 6:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The news seems to suggest that the Andalusia School Superintendent is applying pressure to the Andalusia School Board and the Andaluisa Mayor to help collect what the State of Alabama deems as a 'double portion' of property tax for administration of Andalusia's School System.
In these trying times the majority of the tax paying citizen, the retirees, disabled, and the rest of the community are not receiving 'raises', and are "mandated" by our incomes to live within our means. I suggest that the School Superintendent do like the rest of the nation during these times and run the schools on the amount of money that is available at the moment, and then when things turnaround and get better for all, then we'll see about getting her some more money.
Posted by SouthernAttitude1 (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 6:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. That's all we ever hear. Tighten your belt and buck it up. Stop whining about money. If she is so concerned, give up her salary for the good of the children.
Anybody want to give me more money? I want more, too.
Posted by biscuitsandhoovergravy (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I see the elusive Dr. McAnulty has come out of hiding. This is why she did'nt support the sales tax increase proposal. She is looking for additional revenue in the form of a property tax increase. I'm just glad to see her out in the public eye. When it comes to a problem at school such as dicipline or academic deficiencies she is harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa.Southernattitude makes a good point. Retired people and most workers are in a situation where their funds are fixed and there are no monies available to them...so they tighten up, do without and stretch. My message to the administrators and bottom feeding politicians do the same thing.
Posted by gasman (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
here we go again she wanted a sales tax but that failed now she is looking some where else,people are losing their jobs every day,some can't mke their house payement or pay their rent now and barley feed their family maybe she should join the real world and work the year for 500.00 a month and see if she would want any new tax
Posted by workingman (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well I do hope this Dr. McAnulty has all the (personal)money she needs for we do not. The state I am in now, with all I am paying out now. I am having to do without medical treatment and not being able to recieve the RX., in that I need. My food has went from eating bologna sandwich's without the bologna. I am not poor mouthing myself nor am I asking for help, I have found in the past this does not do any good, so if people such this this Dr. were in my shoes then maybe just maybe she would know what it is like to be at the bottom of the food chain. By the way I did not put my self here, that very well may be but be that as it may, I am here.
If she is a Medical Dr. will she see me for free????????????
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Enough is enough. "NO NEW TAXE'S." Remember to Vote in 2010!!
Posted by biscuitsandhoovergravy (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Superintendent Dr. Beverly McAnulty said the state’s argument is that Andalusia already receives 17 mills (the 7 mills from the county and the 10 from the city), but she argues the 10 mills from the city should not count toward the 10-mill minimum, because those city mills are earmarked for specific purposes."
To me this sums up the super's argument. The money is earmarked. Accountability is attached. They cant spend it as they see fit. I just absolutely adore the way the tax payers are expected to take all statements made by politicians and administrators as gospel.
I feel like a "farmer" who is looked upon by the "hogs "as an intellectually inferior tool who's only purpose in life is to pour endless amounts of feed into the trough for them to eat and slop about and waste.
Posted by mbishop (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, maybe it's because I'm a student but, I hope they do get this 3 mill increase. I know times are tough and I know sometimes I got to stretch my pay check to make it last but, I also know that an extra 10-20 dollars a year on property taxes is not going to hurt anyone. No one is that strapped that you can't save an estimated .20-.40 cents a week. that's about what it equates too. Now farmers with huge chuncks of land should only be required to pay the increase on a certain % of land owned. You can not make schools tighten the belt anymore than they already have. I remember last year when people were blasting Straughn for having to keep the thermostat at a certain temperature. That was because of budget short falls. You can not have it both ways. You can't ask administrators to take a pay cut, heck if I complete and much schooling as they have and have invested that much money into my education I'd expect to earn a decent salary also. Sounds like people just need to buck up and take the increase and help those kids in the ACS out.
Posted by bluecollarguy (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
On the surface it looks as though the City Schools are doing pretty good like it is now. It also seems their security is better than most, like the airport jobs, Sitel, the Mayors and politicians jobs, even her job.
I've seen overeducation 'backfire' on individuals in my lifetime in the job market. Never get too big to roll up your sleeves and help out around the house.
Posted by Patrick (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 9:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It appears the Andalusia School System is wants Covington County to be its local financial source. If the county is the local financial source, the county BOE should control the funding. This is another reason to consolidate the city systems into one county system.
Maybe to county could make Hyw 84 between Opp and Andalusia a toll road, then give the money to the schools. I could find other roads to travel on.
Posted by realist (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That's a ridiculous idea, Patrick. First, 84 is a US highway and the county doesn't have the authority to do that. Second, charging hardworking people who use the road to go back and forth to work and already paid the taxes that built it would go over like a lead balloon. Third, there are a number of routes that could circumvent the toll as you even suggested. Fourth, it would drive beach traffic and other travelers out of Covington County, which would be detrimental to us economically.
Posted by SouthernAttitude1 (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mbishop said "I also know that an extra 10-20 dollars a year on property taxes is not going to hurt anyone." Oh really, just how do you know that? Have you been looking in our wallets? You may be surprised by what you find.
How about you donate to me every week so I can pay my taxes at the end of the year without forking out any extra for YOUR education.
Pay your own way and earn your degree. That extra $10 -$20 is sometimes the difference in paying a gas bill or getting some bologna as workingman talked about.
Of course I guess we could all sign up for public assistance and then the guvment would take care of us.
Posted by bluecollarguy (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In order for the taxes to increase $10-20 per year the parcel would have to have a total appraised value of $30 to $60 thousand dollars. All habital housing in our county as well as the nation is well above that average by at least many thousands of dollars thus raising the 'tax' value, more to the tune of a $250 per year "increase" on an average home.
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mbishop wrote..."You can't ask administrators to take a pay cut" I don't see where anybody is asking them to take a pay cut. I do think NO one should get a raise until things get better.
Posted by andydeerhunter (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't think any of y'all get this. The State has already collected the 3 mils, (collects it every year) but they won't pay it over to Andalusia because of some legal loopholes. No tax increase here, just Andalusia trying to get their fair share, but the State of Alabama says they are not entitled to it. So the story is Andalusia is asking the City to help them get the State to see the light and pay up on the taxes they have already collected.
i would think y'all would be more mad at the State for taking taxes earmarked for Andalusia's children and then not paying the money over to the Andalusia schools. (And notice how this only affects Andalusia and not the County or Opp.)
Flame away.
Posted by SouthernAttitude1 (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
andydeerhunter, the state is STILL government. Be it national, state or local we all know how the story goes when it comes to money.
Good point, though.
lookeyhere, I see no reason they can't take a pay cut. My family has due to the economy. We have our own business. My husband does the hard work and I run the home office. If we don't have clients, we don't get paid. Therefore, it equals pay cut.
Posted by biscuitsandhoovergravy (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have read this article several times and I understand it to convey the message the 3 mills in question will be an ADDITIONAL collection.
If I have this wrong please explain...
Posted by knos (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 6:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Who are the folks with the most valuable property? Property owners living inside the city limits of Andalusia. There are more or purity close to equal amounts of tax raised from them than there are from the county residents because what they have is worth more.
Why should someone in the City of Andalusia who owns property have to pay more tax and see less of it go toward their school system than what goes to the county schools?
Doesn't seem right to me.
Posted by knos (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 6:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This tax only goes to people who own property...over a certain value...and it's a lot.
Silly folks arguing over things that more than likely don't affect them. Try and pull some my kid goes to this school but why on earth would you not want money being spent for the best possible people to educated your children or money for the best possible environment for them to be educated in?
Leaving this one to the fairies...
Adieu!
Posted by knos (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 6:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let the world slide, let the world go;
A fig for care, and a fig for woe!
If I can’t pay, why I can owe,
And death makes equal the high and low.
Be Merry Friends.
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 8:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The fairie comes and the fairie leaves.
Good riddance.
Posted by mbishop (anonymous) on November 20, 2009 at 7:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
southernattitude I'll have you know I bust my ass to pay for my college education. I do not get any handouts and I don't take government assitance. Except for the federal finacial aide I was able to get last year for my education I've never had any governement help. And I do work full time up until the 30th when Sitel lays me off. You don't pay for crap for me I'll have you know. And why you complaining so bad about having to pay an extra tax for someones k12 education I'm sure you didn't complain when someone was doing it for you.
Posted by SouthernAttitude1 (anonymous) on November 20, 2009 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mbishop, you contradict yourself. You state "Except for the federal financial aide I was able to get ...". Federal happens to be government.
When I was in school many, many years ago things were a lot different. The teachers made good use of the money they got for classroom projects and they had parents pitch in to help, willingly, much more than today. I did not grow up in a handout era. I grew up in can do era.
As I grew older intergration came along and things became a lot different. Times changed. Preferrential treatment was given to some students BY the governement. Education has gone downhill since that took place. More demands from the government in the name of poltical corretcness. It is a failed system.
FYI, I did not choose to go to school if you want to know the truth. I was forced as a small child due to laws. I was learning just fine at home and the learning at home did not change. Luckily I had very smart parents. They were willing to go the extra mile to see that I was educated in more ways than books, which by the way, were outdated and contained falsehoods on nearly every page of our history books. I learned more from my own research over the years than any teacher ever taught me.
So you go ahead and keep busting your ass for that federal aid.
Posted by mbishop (anonymous) on November 20, 2009 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I said last year you idiot. This year I paid my own way\ and next year. Unfortunately my parents don't have the money to send me to school, and unfortunately you can't even hardly find a job without a bachelors degree these days. You do realize most federal aid as in the form I receive is based on a subisdized and unsubsidized stafford load, which means it must be repaid. And I take it you don't have a college education? Am I correct you probably work some dead end job with no money which is the reason you're complaining about being broke all the time.
Posted by SouthernAttitude1 (anonymous) on November 20, 2009 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No you are the IDIOT. I did not call you names but don't think I have a problem with calling you what you obviously are. You have shown you are an immature child.
I have a college education and my husband and I own our own business. We WORK for our money. Real work, not answering the phone at Sitel. I work on site with him at times and I also take care of the home office, to boot. Our job does not end when at the punch of a time clock.
The problem with money is the economic downturn which affects all of us that are not getting handouts. A loan is a handout until you pay it back, if you do not default on it. That would become theft by deception.
Futhermore, I did not say I was broke, I just don't want my hard earned money going to some ungrateful dolt such as yourself.
Gotta go I have paperwork to do for MY OWN BUSINESS, not someone else's.
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on November 20, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with SouthernAttitude1 on this one.We are without a doubt living in the handout era.It seems people actually expect to be bailed out if they fail,instead of making it on their own.
Posted by fredburpel (anonymous) on November 21, 2009 at 11:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you look back at education money posts,mbishop is always supporting the "handout money" and large salary increases.
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