Editorial: Keep half-penny tax to benefit schools, economy
To its critics, the U.S. penny has become so insignificant in value that it's not even worth minting any more.
But consider the power of the mighty half-penny in Orange County.
A half-penny sales tax approved by county voters in 2002 will have raised more than $2 billon for the district to build or renovate 94 public schools by the end of next year, when the levy is set to expire.
But there are more schools in the county to build, modernize and upgrade with the latest safety and technology features — at least 59. Voters have the opportunity in this month's primary election to raise another $2 billion to invest in school construction — not by increasing taxes, but by extending the current half-penny tax another decade. They should seize that opportunity.
A good public-education system gives kids the chance they deserve to reach their potential, but it also promotes a better quality of life and healthier economy for everyone. Residents and businesses are more likely to put down roots and thrive where schools are strong.
And the half-penny is a good deal for Orange County residents. More than half the money — 55 percent — that would be raised by maintaining the tax would come out of the pockets of tourists.
The strongest argument against extending the tax — the school district failed to complete the 136 schools it said it would when the levy was first approved 12 years ago — is offset by several factors beyond the district's control. State voters imposed limits on class sizes, forcing the district to spend $600 million to expand classroom space. The Great Recession hit, reducing tax collections below forecasts. And the cost of construction went up.
Dick Batchelor, a former Democratic state House member who led the successful campaign in 2002 to pass the half-penny tax, is reprising his role this year. The Change 4 Kids campaign has the support of a bipartisan group of community leaders, including Republican Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, former Democratic County Chairman Linda Chapin and former Republican County Chairman Mel Martinez. Groups representing business, public-education advocates and minorities also have lined up behind the effort.
Batchelor has not been a pushover for the tax. He sued the School Board with a group of parents in 2009 who felt the construction program wasn't keeping its promises to voters. But he says the board restored the program's credibility and accountability with new leadership and a series of reforms.
The school district has given preference to local contractors on the projects funded by the half-penny, which have created more than 80,000 local jobs, Batchelor says. Extending the tax would create at least as many jobs over the next decade.
Better schools, a better future for kids and a better economy, all for maintaining a half-penny tax on every dollar in sales. That's a bargain Orange County voters shouldn't pass up.