(Posted June 5, 2018)
On May 30, the Madison County Board of Elections certified the results of the May 8 primary election, confirming that the Madison-Plains Local Schools request for a 1.25 percent earned income tax passed with 50.77 percent of the vote.
The unofficial tally on the night of the election showed the issue passing, however 38 provisional ballots had yet to be counted. The measure won by 29 votes.
“This is very significant for the district,” Superintendent Tim Dettwiller said. “This is the first income tax voters in the district have supported and the first time in 13 years the community has approved additional funding for operations.”
The income tax will diversify Madison-Plains’ revenue base, alleviating the burden on property owners. Collection will begin in January 2019 and is expected to generate $1.98 million annually.
The levy is part of the district’s budget balancing plan. The school board recently approved more than $600,000 in reductions and all staff agreed to a pay freeze for the 2018-19 school year that will stay in effect.
Passage of the tax will keep the district solvent until the 2022-23 school year. It does not impact retirement income, Social Security, unemployment benefits, disability and survivor benefits, welfare benefits, child support, or interest, dividends or capital gain.
