Tax vote poorly planned, timed

Published 11:40 am Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The proposed 3-mill tax increase brought about by Selma Public Schools and would supposedly go toward the construction of a new Selma High School has apparently been fraught with problems.

Aside from the fact that not even everyone on the school board agrees with the need for the additional funds, and that it appears the scheduling of such a vote was never organized with county leaders, the vote has before it an electorate who will quite possibly vote it down in overwhelming fashion.

School leaders want the tax vote included in the Nov. 2 general election in hopes of having a high turnout.

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The problem is, by waiting to approve the tax vote as late as they have, they now may force the Dallas County Commission, a group in itself that is fighting funding issues to spend nearly $30,000 on having ballots reprinted.

Selma’s electorate is one that is facing tough economic times, high unemployment and in some cases, declining property values. The likelihood of such a measure being approved by voters is slim at the very best.

It now appears unlikely such a vote will take place on Nov. 2, but by some miracle it appears on the ballot, school leaders should go ahead and have a plan B in place.