AMENDMENT 71 RATIFIED

Tuscaloosa County Special School Tax.

In addition to any taxes now authorized, or that may be hereafter authorized, by the Constitution and laws of Alabama, there is hereby levied a special school tax of fifty cents on each one hundred dollars worth of taxable property in the city of Tuscaloosa and in the several school districts of Tuscaloosa county, to be used solely for public school purposes, provided such tax, and the time it is to continue, shall have been first submitted to the vote of the qualified electors of the school district in which such tax is to be collected and voted for by a majority of those voting at such election; otherwise said tax shall not be collected. A special separate election is hereby called on the first Tuesday after sixty days following the date this constitutional provision becomes effective, in the city of Tuscaloosa and in the school district in Tuscaloosa county of which the city of Tuscaloosa is a part at which election the qualified voters in the city of Tuscaloosa and in the school district in Tuscaloosa county of which the city of Tuscaloosa is a part may vote as to whether said special school tax herein levied shall be effective for a period of thirty years, and if the majority of those voting at said election vote in favor of said special school tax herein referred to, such school tax shall immediately be levied and collected annually thereafter on the first day of October by the tax collector of Tuscaloosa county and, if pledged, paid to the city of Tuscaloosa; otherwise by him immediately paid to the board of education of the city of Tuscaloosa, for a period of thirty years from the date of said election in the city of Tuscaloosa and in the school district of which the city of Tuscaloosa is a part, and a special separate election is likewise hereby called in each other school district in Tuscaloosa county on the first Tuesday after sixty days following the date this constitutional provision becomes effective and the qualified electors of each such other school district in Tuscaloosa county shall vote as to whether said special school tax herein levied shall be effective in their respective districts for a period of thirty years, and where a majority of those voting at said election in any such school district vote in favor of said special school tax such special school tax shall be immediately levied and collected annually thereafter on the first day of October by the tax collector of Tuscaloosa county and, if pledged, paid to the county of Tuscaloosa; otherwise by him immediately paid to the board of education of Tuscaloosa county, for a period of thirty years in any such school district where a majority of such electors voting at said election vote therefor. This section shall be self-executing.

The funds arising from the special school tax to be levied hereunder and to be collected therefrom shall be expended for public school purposes for the exclusive benefit of the school district in which collected with all such tax collected in the city of Tuscaloosa to be expended in the city of Tuscaloosa. After said tax has been voted, and without further authorization or authority, as and when requested by the board of education of the city of Tuscaloosa, the city of Tuscaloosa shall issue and sell interest bearing bonds with principal and interest to be paid from the funds to be derived from the special school tax hereby levied in the city of Tuscaloosa and in the school district in which the city of Tuscaloosa is located, for the sole purpose of the construction and improvement of school buildings and the acquiring of sites therefor; provided, said net proceeds of said bonds shall immediately be paid to the board of education of the city of Tuscaloosa and said bonds shall not be issued for a longer period than thirty years, and said funds to be derived from said special school tax may be pledged by the city of Tuscaloosa for the payment of said bonds and the interest thereon, and provided that said bonds shall not be a general obligation of the city of Tuscaloosa or of Tuscaloosa county and shall not be charged to the constitutional debt limit of the city of Tuscaloosa or of Tuscaloosa county. After said tax has been voted, and without further authorization or authority, as and when requested by the board of education of Tuscaloosa county, Tuscaloosa county shall issue and sell interest-bearing bonds with principal and interest to be paid from the funds to be derived from the special school tax hereby levied in each school district in Tuscaloosa county, other than in the city of Tuscaloosa and the school district in which the city of Tuscaloosa is located, for the sole purpose of the construction and improvement of public school buildings and the acquiring of sites therefor; provided the net proceeds of said bonds shall immediately be paid to the board of education of Tuscaloosa county and that said bonds shall not be issued for longer than thirty years and said funds arising from said school tax may be pledged by Tuscaloosa county for the payment of said bonds and interest thereon and provided that said bonds shall not be a general obligation of Tuscaloosa county and shall not be charged to the constitutional debt limit of Tuscaloosa county.

Except as herein otherwise provided the elections hereinabove provided for shall be called, held and conducted as provided by law for calling, holding and conducting of district school tax elections. The governing body of the city of Tuscaloosa shall appoint and designate the officers, managers, clerks and returning officers and shall call, canvass, tabulate and declare the result of the elections provided for in the city of Tuscaloosa and in the school district in which the city of Tuscaloosa is located. The governing body of Tuscaloosa county shall appoint and designate the election officers, managers, clerks and returning officers and shall call, canvass, tabulate and declare the result of, the elections as to any and all school districts in Tuscaloosa county other than in the city of Tuscaloosa and the school district in which the city of Tuscaloosa is located. All such elections shall otherwise be conducted, held, canvassed, tabulated and the results declared as general elections are conducted, held, canvassed, tabulated and the results declared in Alabama.