Petition efforts start in two Kentucky districts to recall school tax rate

Efforts are underway in two Kentucky school districts to recall tax rates set by the respective school boards.

In Jessamine County, three residents filed an affidavit to form a petition committee to recall the recently approved tax by the Jessamine County School Board.

And in Powell County, the school board said in a Wednesday Facebook post that an affidavit had been filed in the county clerk’s office to recall the tax rate set by the board of education.

Brandon Wides, who says he will be a candidate for school board in 2026; Kim Garrison, Chairperson of the Jessamine County Republican Party; and Jesse Green, Youth Chair of the Jessamine County Republican Party, filed the affidavit with the Jessamine County Clerk, Wides told the Herald-Leader Tuesday.

On Aug. 28, the Jessamine County School Board voted to keep the current rate, approving a general fund tax levy of 67.8 cents on real property and 67.8 cents on personal property for the fiscal year 2026 that began July 1. That is expected to generate about $45 million.

The three residents who filed the affidavit wanted the Jessamine County School board to approve the compensating rate of 64.5 cents on real property and 67.8 cents on personal property, which would generate about $43 million.

“Since the Board kept the current rate despite property valuation increases and rejected the compensating rate --which would have prevented a tax increase and the majority of people who attended a public hearing supported -- the stakeholders of Jessamine County Schools are prepared to utilize (state law) and force this decision to a referendum. And once that happens, it is no longer in the Board’s control, “ Wides said Tuesday.

In response, Jessamine School Board Chair Steven Scrivner said, “Our critics are deliberately confusing an overall increase in tax revenue with an increase in individual tax bills. They conveniently ignore the housing boom across Jessamine County that grows our overall tax base and allows the school district to generate additional revenue without raising anyone’s tax bill. “

“The truth is straightforward: the school board does not set property values — that is the responsibility of the PVA,” Scrivner said.

A taxpayer’s bill only changes if the PVA reassesses their property at a higher value or if the school board raises the tax rate, and Jessamine County’s tax rate has gone down over the past eight years, Scrivner said.

“To my knowledge, residential property values in Jessamine County haven’t been reassessed in a few years, which means most people making this claim are actually paying the same in school taxes as they did last year. It’s simple math: A × B = C. If A (the property value) and B (the tax rate) stay the same, then C (the tax bill) stays the same too.,” Scrivner said.

Green, another resident who filed the affidavit, said in a news release, “Home ownership is already expensive enough for younger people like myself. Any tax increase makes it even more difficult for people to purchase homes and start families in Jessamine County. It is my hope that the people of Jessamine County will agree and will take action to stop this excessive tax hike.”

“Since the board refused to listen to the objections of concerned citizens and raised taxes beyond the statutory limit, I strongly support giving the people of Jessamine County a voice on the future of this tax increase,” Garrison, the third resident who filed the affidavit said in the news release.

State law requires petitioners to obtain the signatures of 10% of the number of voters from the last presidential election. 27,009 Jessamine Countians voted in the 2024 election, making the signature requirement 2,701 signatures from eligible Jessamine County voters, Wides said.

If the petition is successful, the recall would go to the ballot for a special election in November, said Wides, adding that Jessamine County voters can sign the petition until Oct. 12.

Wides said a 4% increase from last year would generate $1.63 million, for a total of $42.5 million.

The approved rate of 67.8 cents per $100 would generate a 10.22% increase in revenue—$4.18 million—for a total of over $45 million. It will bring an increase in revenue greater than the compensating rate, plus 4% and required a public hearing.

The compensating rate of 64.5 cents would generate a 5.22% increase—$2.13 million—for a total in excess of $43 million.

The board’s proposal is $2.5 million more than the 4% increase in revenue, and $2 million more than the compensating rate.

“The question is—do we need that much more?,” Wides said.

A notice for the June 28 public hearing said of the extra $2 million generated by the 2026 fiscal year tax rate, $1.5 million would be spent on instruction, more than $500,000 on supporting students and $30,000 on collecting the funds.

“While we respect the legal right of citizens to pursue a recall petition under state law, we cannot respect the deliberate misrepresentation of our actions by a partisan political group that is once again attempting to undermine our schools,” said Scrivner, the Jessamine board chair. ‘This petition effort is not about protecting taxpayers. It’s about stripping resources from teachers, classrooms, and students.”

Scrivner added: “That should come as no surprise, given this is the same group that last year strongly supported Amendment 2, a measure soundly rejected by voters here in Jessamine County and across Kentucky because it would have weakened public education.”

Amendment 2 would have allowed tax dollars to be spent on private, charter and religious schools. “The facts are clear: Since 2018, the school property tax rate has been lowered from 69.3 to 67.8. At our most recent tax hearing, we chose to maintain that same rate — not raise it,” he said.

“Calling this an ‘excessive tax hike’ is simply misleading. The costs of operating a school system continue to rise, and keeping the current rate ensures that we can sustain safe, supportive and high-quality learning environments for our 8,000 students.” Scrivner noted that individual tax bills are tied to property assessments conducted by the Property Valuation Administrator, not the school board.

“When property values increase, tax bills reflect that increase — a reality of living in a growing, desirable community. That growth benefits us all, but it should not be twisted into a false narrative about the school board’s actions,” Scrivner said.

Powell County Schools

An affidavit to recall the tax rate was filed in Powell County after the school board set the tax rate 5.8 cents per $100 of property more than the current rate.

The General Fund tax rate levied in fiscal year 2026 was 58.3 cents on real property and 58.3 cents on personal property. For fiscal year 2025, the rate was 52.5 cents on real property and 52. 5 cents on personal property.

“We want to make it clear to our citizens that this petition is not about whether you think that people should be able to vote on the rate. The law is clear that the board sets the rate, and voters can challenge the rate through a petition process,” the school board’s post said.

This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM.