Local citizens who turned out to a public forum hosted by Tiger Connection at Hopkinsville High School Thursday night received information on the proposed ‘nickel tax’ increase and what it could mean for the school system’s future.
The property tax hike would increase the school district’s bonding capacity to $51 million, allowing it to construct a new academic building.
Questions were accepted from the audience, and one asked why the current building has been allowed to deteriorate and why wasn’t it maintained properly over the years. Superintendent Mary Ann Gemmill says she can’t speak for what past boards and administrations have done, but there hasn’t been enough funds to meet the facility demands in recent years.
Gemmill says if the Citizens Right to Vote on Tax Increases gets a special election through its petition and the ‘nickel tax’ fails, then it would be her recommendation for the board to try again.
Nichole Eastman with the Citizen’s Right to Vote on Tax Increases says she wasn’t satisfied with the panel’s answers and that the group will continue to question them until the school system builds more trust.
Chief Financial Officer Jessica Darnell says it would be a three year process to build at Hopkinsville High. The district would then assess its financial situation sometime around 2025 to determine a timeline on when a new academic building at Christian County High School would be constructed.
The petition filed to place the nickel tax increase on a ballot is currently being verified by the Christian County Clerk’s Office. If it has enough signatures, the 5.5 cent increase on every $100 of assessed property value would immediately be recalled for a public vote. It would cost the district approximately $70,000 to hold a special election, or the Board of Education could opt to wait until November.