Autauga County split on schools amendment with ‘no’ votes in slim lead

AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - It appears Autauga County residents are split evenly over whether to raise taxes to fund education at a higher rate. As of late Tuesday evening, it appears the measure has failed, though results are unofficial.

The Autauga County probate judge’s office said 20 of 21 boxes have reported with 5,559 voting ‘no’ and 5,492 voting ‘yes’. That’s a margin of 71 ballots.

The probate judge’s office said final results of the schools amendment may not be known until Nov. 15 when provisional ballots are counted.

Superintendent Tim Tidmore pushed for the amendment, saying he believes his students deserve the very best.

“We’ve done real well with what we have, but we feel like we could do even better if we were adequately funded,” he stated before Tuesday’s election.

The money would pay for new facilities, like a brand new Prattville High School and elementary schools. If passed, taxes will be collected from the Central and Daniel Pratt school zones, benefiting all public schools within those areas.

For the owner of a home assessed at $100,000, the tax increase would amount to an additional $150 a year, estimated at “between $12 and $15 a month,” according to the superintendent.

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