Published in print September 30, 2015 By THOMAS P. WEAVER HORIZON Editor HERMITAGE SPRINGS-Despite action taken by the county commission to avoid a county shutdown late last month, the possibility of schools closing next week remains on the table, according … Continue reading →
Published in print September 9, 2015 By THOMAS P. WEAVER HORIZON Editor CELINA-Action taken by the Clay County commission here last week has been accepted by the State Comptroller’s Office effectively fending off a county shutdown, but the same can’t … Continue reading →
Published in print September 2, 2015 School closing still in question By THOMAS P. WEAVER HORIZON Editor CELINA-In a special called meeting here Monday night county commissioners passed a budget to continue operations the next day, but wether or not … Continue reading →
A potential wheel tax referendum proposal born of last week’s county budget committee meeting has prompted the Clay County school board to call a special session Thursday in response to the action.
The committee’s proposal to place a $26 wheel
After hearing emotional words of encouragement like “stay strong,” “maintain your stand,” “be tough,” and “now is not the time to back down,” the Clay County school board stood their ground here last Thursday night by voting to again request a funding increase despite being asked to submit a budget without one by the county commission earlier in the week.
The unanimous vote followed passionate pleas from a standing-room-only crowd packed into the school system’s board room, but action on the request and the potential adoption of a budget may come too little too late
No headway was made last week in the budget standoff between county commissioners and school board members leaving not just the school system heading for an imminent shutdown, but also the entire county, according to Clay County mayor Dale Reagan.
“I want everybody to understand the situation we are faced with,” Reagan said
Published in print August 5, 2015 School learns it’s ranked among state’s top 5% the 2nd year in a row amid shut-down controversy By THOMAS P. WEAVER HORIZON Editor NASHVILLE-After enduring summer-long budget drama and preparing for a possible mid-session … Continue reading →
Published in print July 29, 2015 CLAY COUNTY-With the pending shut down of Clay County schools looming in early October if the system receives no additional funding and the issue reaching regional and statewide media outlets, schools director Jerry Strong … Continue reading →
The Clay County Commission’s decision not to give the school system additional funding didn’t come without drama here last week at the governing body’s budget meeting.
Much discussion was heard by those in attendance, including comments from both sides and from the public.
Director of schools Jerry Strong kicked off the dialogue by explaining
Under direction of the Clay County School Board, schools director Jerry Strong and his staff will pitch a 20-cent property tax increase to members of the Clay County budget committee here next Monday night at a budget meeting held after the July 6 regular commission meeting at the Clay County Government Complex.
Board members voted last month to propose the smaller increase after a $45 wheel tax hike to fund an additional $300,000 the school system requested was rejected in a May county budget meeting.
After a $45 wheel tax hike to fund an additional $300,000 requested by the Clay Clay County School Board was rejected in a county budget meeting in May, school board members voted last Thursday to propose a reduced tax increase to the county commission, according to director of schools Jerry Strong.
“The board has requested me to ask the county commission for a 20-cent property tax increase,”
A proposed $45 wheel tax increase fell by the wayside here at a county budget meeting late last month, according to school board chairman David West.
“They basically rejected the idea,” West told the HORIZON Monday. “Now we’re heading back to the drawing board this week.”
In their May meeting, the school board unanimously voted to “approve the 2015-16 general purpose school budget and to request that the county commission raise the wheel tax by $45 to fund the increase,” recently released minutes from May 21 said.
West explained the increase “was about $300,000