The groups for and against a school nickel tax in Christian County have both relied on a number of traditional campaign methods leading up to Tuesday’s general election.
Every voter in the county has likely been exposed to at least a few messages delivered through social media, yard signs, bumper stickers, radio ads, news stories and direct mail flyers. Advocates for the nickel tax, including Superintendent Mary Ann Gemmill and recent high school graduates, have walked door-to-door handing out pamphlets. Opponents have given interviews and delivered complaints about the school system’s spending habits through their Facebook page.
Other methods to reach and influence voters have been less traditional.
- PART 1 OF THIS SERIES: Final push on nickel tax vote reveals campaign methods
District emails
Opponents of the tax, working through the group Citizens Right to Vote on Tax Increases, have filed open records requests for school district financial information and for the emails of several district employees. The group has published some of those details on its Facebook page, but wasn’t able to get all of the emails it sought. Some emails were withheld because the district said they were exempt from disclosure under the open meetings law. An appeal to determine if the disclosure was proper is pending with the state attorney general.
Mark Graham, who filed requests this fall for emails of Hopkinsville High School principal Dr. John Gunn, physical therapist Stephanie Harton and elementary school teacher Pam Dossett, said his group was not seeking personal information about the employees. He was looking for information about their work in support of the tax, he said.
While most of the emails he sought have been withheld, Christian County Board of Education attorney Jack Lackey said the district did not find any inappropriate behavior by the employees in the emails.
Public officials backing the tax
In the final weeks of the campaign, city and county public officials have endorsed the tax.
Christian Fiscal Court voted 5-1 in favor of a resolution supporting the tax at its Oct. 22 meeting. Voting in favor were magistrates Darrell Gustafson, Rich Liebe, Mark Wells, Magaline Ferguson and Mark Cansler. Magistrate Phillip Peterson voted against the resolution, and two magistrates, Terry Bowman and Jerry Gilliam, abstained.
Two days later, Mayor Carter Hendricks gave his endorsement before a large crowd at the James E. Bruce Convention Center during the Human Rights Commission’s annual Unity Breakfast.
“I am 100 percent going to vote for the nickel tax,” Hendricks said. “Get behind these young people … do not be distracted by people talking about 25 and 50 years ago.”
Some financial backers not disclosed yet
Under Kentucky law, a political issues committee that raises at least $1,000 to campaign on a ballot issue is required to file reports with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
However, the group opposing the nickel tax, Citizens Right to Vote on Tax Increases, did not know about that requirement until recently when a state official contacted the group, said Graham.
“This is all new to us,” Graham said, adding there was no intention to ignore the regulation. The reports will be late, but they will be filed, he said.
The other group, Citizens for Christian County Kids, has filed its financial reports.
In the most recent report, on Oct. 18, it listed approximately $12,500 in cash contributions. It also had approximately $9,300 for in-kind contributions from the school system, mainly to cover advertising and printing expenses.
Individual donors, contributing at least $100 to the Citizens for Christian County Kids, who are listed in the reports are: Tracey Carter Williams ($200), Hanson Williams ($150), Arnold Lynch ($150), Charles Maddux Jr. ($3,975), Superintendent Mary Ann Gemmill ($1,000), Gary Lester ($1,000), Wynn Radford III ($500), Micah Lester ($500), Charles Maddux ($250), Fannie Louise Maddux ($250), Dan Kemp ($250), Mike Foster ($250), Lee White ($200), Mary Ann Harton ($200) and William Scott ($150).
George Baker, a long-time employee of the state’s election finance office, told Hoptown Chronicle it’s unlikely anyone representing the anti-tax group will face any action by state officials for failure to file the reports on time.
Graham told Hoptown Chronicle he expects his group will spend less than $5,000 on the campaign.
However, the lack of reports being filed before the election means voters cannot verify that estimate and won’t have access to the same type of information for the two groups before the election.
The financial disclosure law requires the groups to file final reports a month after the election.
Tuesday’s ballot
Voters will be asked this question on Tuesday’s ballot:
“Are you for or against the Christian County Board of Education levying an additional equivalent tax rate of five cents on each $100 of real and personal property to raise funds to be used only for major renovation of existing school facilities, new construction, and debt service on that construction or renovation?”
If approved, the property tax would be 5.5 cents on $100 assessed value of real estate. The school board, which voted unanimously for the tax in February, would use the revenue to boost the district’s bonding capacity so it could build new schools to replace Hopkinsville and Christian County high schools. Hopkinsville High would be built first, likely in the next couple of years, and Christian County High would follow after 2025.
Polls for Tuesday’s general election will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
