Union County to put half-cent school capital-outlay sales tax on November ballot after unanimous vote

Superintendent Mike Riplinger told the Union County Board of County Commissioners on Monday that the school district has cut its budget by more than $2.8 million and is at a “critical” staffing level, and asked the board to allow voters to decide on a half-cent capital-outlay sales tax in November.

Riplinger said declining enrollment and shifts in state funding have left the district strapped for capital improvements such as HVAC, boilers, athletic fields and bus garages. “We reduced our budget by nearly 9 to 10% — by over $2,800,000,” he said, adding that the tax would not pay salaries or fund the new elementary school currently funded by separate awards.

The superintendent outlined how state funding formulas and enrollment changes have eroded planning stability: reductions in full-time-equivalent calculations have resulted in recurring midyear cuts, he said, and mandated services such as transportation and school safety are only partly funded by state and federal reimbursements.

“If this doesn't pass, there's gonna be a lot more pain and misery,” Riplinger said, urging that capital-outlay revenue would help maintain facilities and preserve programs that are otherwise vulnerable to cuts.

Commissioners discussed the proposal's limits and process. One commissioner asked whether the measure would relieve general operating pressures; Riplinger reiterated that law constrains use of the half-cent sales tax to capital outlays and equipment. Commissioners also emphasized that the measure provides voters the final say: “Voters need the right to decide,” a commissioner said before the board voted.

Commissioner McNeil moved to place the half-cent sales-tax question on the ballot; Commissioner Kroll seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

The board and the school district said they plan public workshops and town halls if the board approves placement on the ballot, and the district will post materials and recorded workshops on its website to inform voters about permitted uses and timelines.

The board's action places the question before county voters in the next general election; if approved, the revenue would be restricted to capital projects the district can use under state law. The superintendent said estimates based on recent years’ sales-tax receipts project additional annual capital funding in the mid six-figure range, depending on collection shares between the county and municipalities.