SPANISH FORT – Supporters of a school tax for the Spanish Fort attendance zone are gathering petition signatures to be ready for the City Council to vote May 6 to request a referendum on the issue.

Under the proposal, the council would request a public vote to increase property taxes in the Spanish Fort public schools attendance zones by 3 mills. If approved the tax would increase property tax rates by 30 cents on each $1,000 of taxable property. The money raised by the tax would go to public schools in Spanish Fort.

The City Council had been scheduled to vote April 15 on a resolution asking the Baldwin County Board of Education to move forward with the referendum. Two council members, however, were not present at that time and Mayor Mike McMillan said the issue would be postponed until the May 6 meeting.

“We don’t have enough people for an important agenda item like that,” McMillan said.

Council members William Menas and Bobby Fortenberry were not present at the meeting.

The tax legislation also requires a petition signed by at least 200 Spanish Fort voters before the Board of Education can set the referendum. McMillan said the petition should be ready to present to the board before its meeting on May 19.

“I’m going to ask the council for help and we’ll get it to all the principals and we’ve got to collect 200 names real quick,” McMillan said.

City officials have proposed holding the referendum in September. If the council misses the May Board of Education meeting, the next chance for a school board vote would not be until June 20.

Councilwoman Mary Brabner said the Baldwin County Education Coalition and other supporters will be going to schools and asking for signatures.

“The teachers can’t ask them to sign it, but volunteers in the car line can ask them to sign it,” she said.

If approved by voters, the rate increase would begin with the start of the next tax year on Oct. 1, 2019 and be in effect for 10 years.

Fairhope is also working on a proposal for a school tax district.

The Spanish Fort district would include the attendance zones for Spanish Fort High School, Spanish Fort Elementary School, Spanish Fort Middle School and Rockwell Elementary School.

City Attorney David Conner said Spanish Fort officials have been working with Baldwin County School System representatives on setting the exact legal description of the proposed district. He said the boundaries should be confirmed before the board meets on May 19.

Under Amendment 382 of the Alabama Constitution, special tax districts can be established in a school system. Other areas in the state, such as Talladega, have established tax districts in the past.