Residents say yes to property tax renewal

During a special election held on March 11, Vestavia Hills residents tentatively approved to renew an existing property tax used for education in the city. The tax accounts for $6.3 million of the Vestavia Hills Board of Education's annual revenue. 

According to City Clerk Rebecca Leavings, the city calculated a 91 percent approval rate and tallied the vote count as follows:

In favor of renewal: 1715

Against renewal: 163

The total represents 8 percent voter turnout.

"Renewal of this tax was critical," Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Jamie Blair said. "This just perpetuated what we've be doing for the past 23 years." 

Currently, $2.56 on every $100 of taxable property is being levied for use in the public schools by the Vestavia Hills Board of Education. By renewing the tax, voters have decided that the $1.05 of the $2.56 will continue to be levied annually beginning October 2018 for an indefinite period of time.

Blair said the existing tax is equivalent to 84 teacher units, and failure to renew the tax could have resulted in larger class sizes, program elimination, obsolete technology, deteriorating facilities and insufficient cash reserves.

"This vote just shows how our citizens view our school system," Blair said.

Leavings said the vote would not be final until the canvass meeting next Tuesday at noon.