ROBERTSDALE — Officials in Central Baldwin say they are ready to move forward after a 3-mil property tax vote that will be used to fund education opportunities for local students narrowly passed on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

According to preliminary totals from the Baldwin County Probate Office, less than 8 percent of the 21,889 eligible voters in Baldwin County school voting District 5 cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

Voters approved the 3-mil tax by just 23 votes, according to the unofficial results, with 881 votes (50.66 %) for the tax and 858 (49.34 %) against.

“We’re excited,” said Chris Kerby, who serves as Tax Committee chairman for the Central Baldwin Education Foundation and is one of nine members appointed to the Central Baldwin Education Committee. “A lot of people were surprised by the low turnout and were surprised that it didn’t pass with flying colors, but this is a big change and it’s up to us now to take it and see what we can do.”

Robertsdale High School Principal Joe Sharp said he wanted to thank both the parents and citizens who voted in favor and against the proposal.

“I would like to thank all the parents and citizens of Central Baldwin that voted in favor of the 3-mil proposal,” Sharp said. “I would like to thank our three municipalities that came together and worked in a united front to support this proposal. This proposal was passed by a very narrow margin. This reinforces the fact that every vote counts. Thank you for your support and for investing in the future of Central Baldwin and all our children.

“To the parents and citizens that voted in opposition, thank you for acting on your civic responsibility. Although the results did not turn out the way you voted, I can assure you that the seven Central Baldwin principals and the Central Baldwin Education Action Committee will be good stewards of this revenue. We will work together to prioritize the needs of our schools and our students by maximizing every penny.”

The Baldwin County Commission met Wednesday at the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse to canvass the returns from Tuesday’s election. The Commission was scheduled to meet Tuesday, Sept. 28 to canvass provisional ballots and certify election results.

The tax is similar to those that were passed in 2019 by the cities of Fairhope and Spanish Fort. If passed it would run for the next eight years, which would coincide with the renewal schedule for the Spanish Fort tax. The Fairhope tax was approved for 30 years.

According to information provided by the Central Baldwn Education Foundation, a 1 mil property tax is equal to .01 % (.0001) of appraised property value, or 6 % of the assessed value of farmland. Senior citizens would be exempt from the tax.

The tax is projected to generate from $700,000 to $750,000 per year to be spent toward making academic and capital improvements, personnel and extra-curriculars at Silverhill Elementary, Loxley Elementary, Elsanor Elementary, Rosinton Elementary, Robertsdale Elementary, Central Baldwin Middle and Robertsdale High schools.

Improvements would include providing additional education opportunities, programs and facilities for students in Central Baldwin.

A nine-member committee has been appointed to work with schools and the Baldwin County School System to decide how the money will be spent. The nine-member committee includes three members appointed by each of the three municipalities.

Once the election is certified, Kerby said, the committee will meet to go over the governing rules, how the committee plans to meet going forward, and set an agenda to meet the biggest needs in local schools.

“Reading and math are hot button issues that need to be addressed,” he said. “Over the coming months we will be working closely with principals and teachers to determine which schools have the biggest needs and where we will be able to make the most impact.”