Four local public schools in Gardendale received over 1 million dollars recently from the mayor and city council of Gardendale acting on behalf of Gardendale property taxpayers who pay into the so called 5-Mill Property Tax account.
This tax was voted on several years ago by Gardendale voters when city leaders advised that the tax was needed in order to have funding in place to break away from the Jefferson County School District and create a new Gardendale controlled school system.
While creating the school system failed, the tax has remained in place and today generates approximately 1 million dollars per year in taxes that may only be used for “public school purposes.”
This is a separate tax from the recently voted and approved tax for the Jefferson County School District, commonly referred to as the Jefferson County Schools Tax. That tax generates 2 million.
Here is a list of money from the 5-Mill Property Tax account given to the local students, teachers, administrators and schools. This was taken from the public Facebook page of the City of Gardendale.
According to the city, the total allocated out of the tax account to the schools was $1,026,595 and covered 17 different projects.
Gardendale High School
Art Class Supplies (Easels and Pottery Wheels) – $714
Theater Arts Program – $7,500
FBLA Conference Trip – $1,709
Teacher Appreciation – $1,000
Band Expenses – $3,500
Cheerleader Mats – $2,817
Rockette Dance Mats for Dance Room- $7,908
Van De Graaff Generator – $1,265
Turfing of the Softball and Baseball Fields – $885,000
AED at the Softball and Baseball Fields – $3,396
Bragg Middle School
Testing Incentives Program for students who improve on their testing scores – $7,500
Gardendale Elementary School
Safety Surface for Playground – $6,970
Chess Club Field Trip – $271
UAB Women’s Education Day Field Trip – $528
8Ft, Fence in Back of School for Security – $28,126
Chicken Cage/Embryology project for 4th Grade – $500
Snow Rogers Elementary
Playground Fence Replacement with 5ft. Black Vinyl – $62,293
4th Grade Field trip to Montgomery – $1,999
3rd Grade Field Trip to Huntsville – $3,600
Congratulations to all property owners who pay taxes in Gardendale. These 17 projects were funded through your tax dollars and it’s you who deserve all the credit.
