By Staff
Council should stick to its guns
"The city council surprised all of us last night with their foresight and concern for the people who elected them, except for Mr. Thompson, who still supports a sales tax increase. Way to go, city council! It must have dawned on some of you that 2008 is only a few months away. The school board "found" $1million dollars to be used toward a new school….hmmm…wonder what else they could find if they bothered to look. However, our schools need that $1million for so many other things right now. Parents, please remember that the schools have this money when they start begging us for donations, etc., next month."
Board fumbled with request
"Only the Hartselle City Board of Education would be arrogant eneuogh to waltz into a combined meeting with the Hartselle City Council and say we have a need for a new high school but it's up to you to figure out how you're going to pay for it. No other school board in the state of Alabama would ever be this arrogant! I am embarrassed for these people. The city has a budget of a little over $9 million dollars while the school board has a budget of over $25 million with another $2 million plus they are to recieve in state bond money. All this while the school board continues to say we want a new school, how are you going to pay for it?"
We don't need a sales tax increase
"The school system is being selfish when it tries to get Hartselle to pass a 1 percent sales tax increase to finance a new high school! The need is real and apparent to all but our council down to the last one who promised no new taxes and no new taxes without a vote of the public.There are other needs in other city departments that will suffer if a sales tax is passed just to build a new school. No tax will pass in Hartselle before it foes to the people. Don't trust this bunch to build anything, let alone a $30 million school."
Be thankful for what you have
"Do you all realize how good you have it? Your children can go to a nice school and your quality of life is far superior to the pathetic systems in the bigger cities. Your property taxes are dirt cheap and you can ride down the road without getting carjacked."