Demopolis residents narrowly approve 5 mill tax for city schools

Demopolis residents on Tuesday barely voted in favor of continuing a 5 mill tax that provides $1 million in revenue a year for the city school system.

The mill tax was approved by a margin of only 100 votes, with 50.68% saying yes on the Nov. 5 ballot to renew the 5 mill tax for another 30 years. 

The Demopolis City Schools system said in a statement the 5 mill tax is not new and has been paid for 30 years and had to be voted on again to continue for another 30 years.

The school system said they use the funds for athletics' expenses, including maintenance, fields, and some coaching stipends, as well as for facilities maintenance.

In a statement, the school system said the tax is needed because the state Department of Education does not allocate fund for those types of expenses. It also provides funds to help pay for teachers that are not funded by state allocations.