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MADISON, Alabama – A glitch in an advertisement regarding a proposed 6-mill property tax increase to benefit Madison City Schools will prevent it from being placed on an upcoming ballot — at least for now.

Speaking from the legislative floor in Montgomery, State Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, said the school tax bill will not be pushed this session because it calls for a special election.

“Everybody I’ve talked to in the delegation says there should not be a special election, particularly in a year voters will go to the polls four or five times,” Ball said, noting upcoming elections for the primary elections and possible runoffs, August municipal election and possible runoff, the general election, and the presidential preference primary in 2012.

Lawmakers can’t simply amend the bill because it was advertised in legal notices that the property tax question would be decided by Madison voters in a special election. Legislative procedures don’t allow for local bills to stray from their legally advertised intent.

Ball said requiring a special election would not only be an unnecessary cost, it also would be an inconvenience for voters who will already be making so many visits to the polls in 2012.

“We’ve got time to do it next year instead of rushing a bill that is not correct,” he said in a telephone interview with The Huntsville Times.

Madison School Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said he appreciates the “prudence” local legislators have shown in withdrawing the bill after the misunderstanding was discovered earlier today.

“There was some confusion in the advertising and the delegation has shown a lot of concern for their constituents and I applaud them for it,” said Fowler. “We don’t want it to be under a cloud of suspicion because we are not trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. We are glad to get it cleared up.”

However, Fowler said the term “special election” doesn’t necessarily mean a special date.

“A special election can mean a vote on something other than voting on candidates,” he said. “It can be a special election within a regular election. While that may be right, it’s not good enough. We want everything to be above board and we support the delegation’s diligence in this matter.”

Fowler said school officials prefer the proposed property tax bill be included on a regular election ballot rather than a special election which would cost taxpayers extra money.

The next opportunity for the proposed bill to be put on the ballot will be during the 2012 regular legislative session which begins in January. At least 90 days must elapse from passage by the Legislature before a property tax measure can go on the ballots. Ball said the measure could easily go on ballots for the municipal elections in August 2012.

Times Editorial Editor John Peck contributed to this report.

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