Jeffco Voters to Decide on Homewood’s Ability to Increase Property Taxes

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2018/11/Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1081;s:4:"file";s:43:"2018/11/Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:44:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-1536x865.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:865;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-552x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:552;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"Image_from_iOS_5-e1541471976142-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Source: Gigi Douban
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] =>  WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:10:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:2560;s:4:"file";s:20:"Image_from_iOS_5.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-336x448.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:448;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Image_from_iOS_5-771x1028.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:1028;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"Image_from_iOS_5-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-233x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:233;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-199x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:199;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"Image_from_iOS_5-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:1:{s:4:"full";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:28:"The file could not be saved.";}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:0;s:14:"optimized_size";i:0;s:7:"percent";i:0;}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => error
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

)
1654806686 
1541422632

Jefferson County voters will decide Tuesday whether to grant Homewood an exemption from the state’s lid bill, paving the way for city residents to approve a property tax increase in a later vote to fund schools. “The bottom line is that citizens should be able to control their own tax base through a vote of the people instead of being micro-managed by the state legislature,” a website the city launched to publicize the vote says.

The 1971 lid bill caps a city’s property tax rate at 1.5%. Cities like Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, and Huntsville are exempt because they had property tax rates higher than the “lid” prior to the bill’s passage.

Homewood officials wanted the referendum for the primary purpose of improving city schools, where local funds come from property tax. School Superintendent Bill Cleveland says the city wants the option to raise taxes, but adds there are no immediate plans for an increase.

“If we wait until we need an increase to have this law changed, that will be too late,” Cleveland says.

A “yes” vote on the November 6th ballot is a vote in favor of Homewood receiving an exemption from the bill.

Homewood resident Erik Henninger, who has lived in Homewood for 13 years and has a first and third-grader at Hall-Kent Elementary, supports the amendment. Municipalities such as Vestavia and Mountain Brook have been able to pull in additional school funds through property taxes. Henninger says Homewood would be more competitive if allowed an exemption. He worries residents will confuse the vote as a required tax increase.

Ryan Reardon has lived in Homewood for 18 years and has two children — one graduated from Homewood High School and one attends Homewood Middle. He has seen significant growth throughout the city over the last two decades and says he’s more than willing to contribute towards bettering his community. The local amendment came to his attention weeks ago and he stands behind it. He hopes that other Homewood and county voters will see the local amendment as a way to give the city the ability to fund its future as opposed to a tax increase. He wants Homewood to control its own fate rather than lawmakers in Montgomery.

The Homewood Board of Education allocated about $250,000 to publicize the referendum. Director of Communications Merrick Wilson says the board has been pushing this bill for several years through parent-teacher organizations and to the general public in mailouts and yard signs. Superintendent Cleveland has made videos advocating the exemption on social media.

If voters reject the amendment, Wilson says it won’t prompt drastic changes at city schools. Homewood is renovating five schools, and that work won’t be affected regardless of the outcome Tuesday. The vote is more of a preemptive measure, she says.

 

Trump’s travel ban is now in effect. Here’s what to know

The ban, which revives a controversial measure from Trump's first term, took effect Monday morning. Here's what to know about who's affected, who's exempt and how foreign leaders are responding.

Warner Bros. Discovery to be split, as Zaslav retreats from grand ambitions

Warner Bros. Discovery is to split into two, separating streaming and studios from its cable channels. The company has been burdened by debt and the decline of cable TV.

NIH scientists call on director to protect biomedical research

In a public letter, hundreds of scientists expressed their dissent to the Trump administration's policies affecting the National Institutes of Health and called on its director to support the agency.

5 simple (and cheap) things to make your house use less energy

Sometimes reducing your home's energy use can be as simple as opening a window or buying tape. Here are five easy ways to have a more climate-friendly home and save on energy bills at the same time.

Netflix’s ‘The Eternaut’ makes a haunting series of an esteemed Argentine comic

El Eternauta has acquired near-mythic status in Argentina since it was first published in 1957.

This city is exploring an unconventional solution to water scarcity: sewage

A booming population and changing climate have strained water supplies in St. George, Utah. Local leaders are betting that recycled wastewater can keep the city's taps flowing.

More Education Coverage