By Chris Basinger, Staff Writer
TRUSSVILLE, Ala.–Trussville residents appear to have voted against a proposed property tax increase that would have gone toward funding three major Trussville City Schools expansion projects, according to the unofficial election results released by the city Tuesday night.
The election proposed a 12.9 mill increase, which would have brought Trussville’s millage up to an even 75.
According to the unofficial results, 5,317 community members turned out to vote in the city-wide special municipal tax election.
2,232 voted in favor of the proposed increase and 3,085 voted against it, or 58.02% opposed.
90 residents voted absentee in the election.
The full unofficial election results by polling place are:
- Civic Center: 618-640
- North Park: 516-866
- City Hall: 169-243
- Trussville First Baptist Church: 566-741
- Faith Community Fellowship: 336-532
- Absentee: 27-63
“Well at this point, obviously, I’m really disappointed for our students and teachers that have been put in some of these situations, but I do appreciate the turnout quite honestly, I think it shows our community is engaged,” Mayor Buddy Choat said after the results came in.
“I think we got our message out, I hope we did, because obviously it didn’t resonate with as many people as we were hoping, but I think we gotta respect those that voted, how they did, and I appreciate everybody’s efforts that was put into this.”
“I think we’ll just wake up tomorrow morning and we’ll have Dr. Martin and the board and myself maybe talk about it and see what the next step may be,” he added.
Despite the property tax increase failing, Choat said the city and the school district will continue working toward the three expansion projects as TCS continues to face challenges with overcrowding in all of its schools.
The projects include a new elementary school at Glendale Farms, upgrades to Hewitt-Trussville Middle School’s kitchen, cafeteria, gymnasium, and special needs classroom, and the addition of a C-Wing at Hewitt-Trussville High School, which would add over 20 new classrooms.
“These are three projects that have to be done, so I think what we need to look at is a different path, an immediate path number one is to maybe address the most immediate need, and I don’t know this, nobody’s told me, but it appears the high school with 106% capacity may be the first route, but we’ll sit down and map it out and kind of see what we need to do,” Choat said.
With the millage rate staying at 62.1, Trussville will remain between Gardendale at 60.1 and Bessemer at 68.7.
In comparison, Mountain Brook’s millage is 109, Vestavia Hills is 92.6, Homewood is 75, and Hoover is 72.6.
If approved by voters, annual property taxes would have increased by about $129 for a home valued at $100,000 and by $645 for a home valued at $500,000.
The increase would have brought in about $90 million in funding over the next 30 years, which would have gone solely to the three projects.
In 2014, Trussville voted 2,812-1,935 in favor of the 7 mil Trussville School Tax, which funded Magnolia Elementary School and Cahaba Elementary School.
In 2022, Trussville voted in favor of its renewal 1,688-292.
The results of the election will be officially certified by the Trussville City Council at a special meeting next Tuesday.