Give Hamilton County's schools an additional $34 million to fund such improvements as elementary school art and foreign language classes, and we don't care how you raise the money.
That's the message some school board members had for the County Commission on Thursday night, as the board voted 7-2 to approve a $379 million annual general purpose budget to fulfill Superintendent Rick Smith's vision to create "the best school system in the South." Supporters on the school board downplayed the 40-cent local property tax increase, or about $150 annually on a $150,000 home, that Smith proposed as one way to fund the improvements.
"Everybody needs to realize we're talking about the vision and where we want to go," East Brainerd school board member Donna Horn said. "Rick Smith has not been preaching a tax increase."
Brainerd school board member Karitsa Mosley said, "I think the $34 million is needed. I don't care where it comes from or what the revenue source is."
Hixson school board member Greg Martin opposed the budget increase along with Soddy-Daisy member Rhonda Thurman.
Thurman predicted county commissioners, who control the school district's purse strings, would reject the budget increase when it comes before them at 3 p.m. on May 20.
"I'm sorry, but it's going to come right back to us," Thurman said. "If they don't approve it, we have a lot of work to do."
Martin said it seemed "a little disingenuous" for the school board to put the commission in the "political cross-hairs of a tax increase at this time."
"If our needs are so great and overdue, then why wasn't this proposal brought last year when the [county] mayor's office, all nine commission seats and half the school board were on the ballot?" Martin asked. "If that would have been the case, the voters would have had a say about their government and its expansion."
School board Chairman George Ricks, of Alton Park, said school board members weren't trying to put commissioners in a tough spot.
"We're not trying to do that," Ricks said. "I hope [commissioners] don't feel that way."
East Ridge member David Testerman said it's easy for a politician to be anti-tax and praised Smith, who's midway through a series of 11 community meetings to share his vision, for having a "lot of courage."
"I think we're elected as leaders to have vision, to be leaders, to do things that haven't been done before," Testerman said. "The way for this county to grow is not by just cutting money from the school board."
Signal Mountain board member Jonathan Welch said that without a funding boost, the school district would have to make some unpopular cuts to its services.
"If it comes to that, this board will do what we need to do," Welch said. "But it's a disservice to not at least ask for the funding."
Ooltewah member Steve Highlander supported the budget increase but said, "I don't want it to be tied to a certain, specific [funding] plan." Lookout Valley board member Joe Galloway said, "I'm willing to fund this any way we can."
In other business, the school board voted 5-4 to approve a motion by Mosley to change its public comment policy and allow three people to sign up on the night of the meeting to speak for three to five minutes on any topic. Highlander, Martin, Ricks, Welch and Mosley were in favor.
"I think that's a good first step," said Elizabeth Crews, executive director of the nonprofit group UnifiEd, which has campaigned since last year to make public comment easier by doing away with such things as the requirement that those wishing to speak sign up three days in advance.
Martin wanted to do away with the 72-hour sign-up and open comment before the meeting for agenda items and after for non-agenda items. Testerman wanted to keep the current comment policy and not talk about the issue again for a year, because he felt too much time had been spent on it. But neither man's motion survived.
Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu@timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/tim.omarzu or twitter.com/TimOmarzu or 423-757-6651.