Baldwin Co. board talks budget crisis

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. - The Baldwin County Commission, School Board, and parents met Friday to try to come up with a solution for the financial issues that are plaguing the public school system.

School Board members say a one cent sales tax increase could generate $25 million in revenue, and potentially save the school system from more cutbacks.

But that idea has already been proposed, and it failed. Several County Commissioners voiced their concerns about hiking up the sales tax. They want the School Board to explore some different options.

Mothers and teachers in the school's system came to the meeting as well. Ashley Gammond is a mother of four children in the school system.

"We have had incredible incredible experiences with the Baldwin County schools, they are second to none, that's why I moved to Baldwin County. I have seen, this year, our schools go from being top in the state to the bottom of the barrel," said Gammond.

While he recognizes that the school system needs help, David Bishop, the Chairman of the Baldwin County Commission, said the tax increase is harder to enact than it seems on the surface.

"You have different people's understanding of what a one percent sales tax increase would do. A person out her on the street would think well that's an easy thing to do, it could generate $25 million for whatever purpose it was intended to be. But if you put it on temporary which is what is being asked to do it solves the problem for right now but what do you do after that?" asked Bishop.

When one of the Commissioners voiced his opposition to a sales tax increase, several members of the School Board shook their heads in disbelief.

Angie Swiger is an acting member of the Baldwin County Board of Education. She said they need help immediately, and waiting around will only makes matters worse.

"Disappointment, frustration, surprised, its strange to me and surprising to me that our county commission cannot see the correlation and the importance of education to the success of our county," Swiger added.

No decision was made in Friday's meeting as to whether a one cent tax increase will come up for vote. For now, the financial future of the school system is still in jeopardy. The School Board spokesman said they will re-evaluate the budget and hopefully the tax increase will still be an option they can pursue.