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Oral arguments in Dollarway millage hike case today Thursday, Jun 19, 2008 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Opponents of a millage increase approved last year for the Dollarway School District in Jefferson County will argue for a refund before the state Supreme Court today, even though district residents voted this spring to reduce the levy. Eugene Sayer of Little Rock, attorney for patrons who sued the district, said Wednesday the outcome would not affect the 1.5 mill reduction voters approved in May. "We're covering tax year 2007 and (the new millage) will be effective for 2008 and will be certified by the Quorum Court in November and billed in 2009," Sayer said. "Whatever the amount of the (2007) increase, which their bond fellow said was a little over $500,000, would be subject to refund if we are successful," he said, adding the district possibly could credit the taxes back to residents. Sayer's clients, Dollarway Patrons for Better Schools, contend the Dollarway School Board misrepresented the financial impact of the 2007 millage increase by 50 percent in both a pamphlet it distributed and in newspaper advertising. "The ballot was correct but the representations by the sponsoring agency of what the millages would do was misleading," Sayre said Wednesday. In 2006, the former Altheimer Unified School District was annexed into the Dollarway district. Following the merger, the new school board asked voters to approve a millage hike to fund school improvements, including construction of a new middle school. By just 26 votes, voters in March 2007 voted to raise the millage rate in the old Dollarway district from 40.8 mills to 42.3 mills, and in the former Altheimer district from 32.6 mills to 42.3 mills. Residents in the former Altheimer district filed a lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court arguing they were misled by false revenue projections that understated the cost of the higher millage by 50 percent. Circuit Judge Rob Wyatt later dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that it was not filed in a timely manner. Dan Bufford, attorney for the Dollarway district, said Wednesday he agreed with Wyatt's ruling and that the lawsuit was "nothing more than a challenge of the results of the election." |
