Rally held to drum up support for sales tax extension benefiting Orange County schools
The fight is on to extend a half-penny sales tax in Orange County. Supporters of the extension have said it's for the benefit of the children, as an additional $2 billion in revenue would be generated to build and renovate schools. Still, not everyone is on board.
Some parents and residents want to make sure their money will go to schools that are in dire need of some help. At a rally held on Wednesday, supporters said they have a track record which proves the sales tax has been beneficial to the county.
"When you pass this tax on August 26th, every school in my school district will be completed and every school, and yours. Let's do it Orange County! You did it before, let's do it again!" said Kathleen Gordon, School Board Vice Chairman who represents District 5.
Orange County School Board members are fired up as they kick off their campaign to extend the sales tax. The non-profit group called "Change 4 Kids," is leading the charge. Voters passed a half penny sales tax in 2002, but unless it's extended, the tax will expire next year.
"To make it clear, it's not a new tax, it's an extension of a tax," said Dick Batchelor, Change 4 Kids Founder. "Taxes will not go up, and one of the points I always like to make, 55 percent of the taxes -- the sales taxes -- are paid by the tourists."
"I'm concerned," said Parramore resident Lawanna Gelzer, who wants to make sure that schools like Pine Hills Elementary and Ivey Lane Elementary are not forgotten.
"It's our tax dollars, we are the citizens, we're paying it and our children will be going to these schools and we just want to ensure that our vote will be taken seriously," said Gelzer.
School board members say nearly a dozen schools have been renovated since 2002, but add that their work is far from over.
"We will not be able to renovate those 36 schools, build the 15 relief schools that we need to relieve the overcrowding in this community without the extension of the half cents sales tax," said Bill Sublette, Orange County School Board Chairman.
Should voters approve the sales tax extension, more than $200 million dollars will be used to retrofit and modernize the schools. The issue will be on the primary ballot for August 26.