A majority of West Clermont school district voters soundly rejected a proposed 1 percent alternative base income tax on Tuesday.
With a total of 64 precincts reporting to the Clermont County Board of Elections, the non-certified results indicated that the school district’s Issue 7, which appeared on the March 4 ballot after being unanimously approved by the board of education only last December, failed on Election Day, 5,773 to 11,122.
“Clearly, we were defeated by a significant margin,” said a disappointed West Clermont superintendent Gary Brooks just moments after hearing the election results. “So I think that the board will have to consider that before they determine how to continue looking at the district’s funding options.”
The earned income tax, which was estimated at an annual $11.5 million, would have replaced the school district’s emergency operating levy that voters passed in 2004. Collections for that levy will cease to generate revenue for operating expenses at the end of 2009.