The proposed Halifax County schools supplemental tax referendum was overwhelmingly defeated Tuesday by a 71.38 percent to 28.62 percent margin.
The only ones not voting for the matter were those in the Roanoke Rapids and Weldon school districts.
Pat Croisetiere, a county resident who lobbied against the supplemental tax, said she was pleased the measure was defeated. “One thing I heard was we don’t care about the children,” she said tonight. “I worked in a classroom for 25 years. This was not about the children, this was about correcting a flawed school system and holding people accountable for their spending.”
Croisetiere said she hoped the defeat would open the eyes of a lot of people. “I hope from now on people will be more accountable and I think school officials and state officials needed to hear these facts. From the five years we went back, we found everyone was ignoring the truth, the deficit was huge and there was no accountability.”
Croisetiere said she was surprised the margin was so wide. “I am surprised I expected it to be much closer. I think most people realized the economy was bad. People on both sides of the aisle didn’t want another tax. Clearly there are people in Halifax County who feel they are taxed enough already.”
Croisetiere said she believes when the problems with the school system are corrected it will benefit the children. “When the problems are fixed the children will begin to learn.”
The school system said it needed the tax because it is the largest system in the county and Roanoke Rapids and Weldon already have the tax. In an early statement on the matter the school system said, “The fact that other systems within the county have special taxing authority which has not been granted to the Halifax County Board of Education creates inequity in the funding for public education in Halifax County which demands immediate redress.”
In other results:
Incumbent state Representative Michael Wray beat challenger James Mills by a 61.78 percent to 38.22 margin.
Incumbent Halifax County Board of Education members Debbie Hardy, Carolyn Hawkins and Donna Lynch Hunter were returned to office while challenger Charles R. Hedgepeth unseated incumbent Gladys Lawson Walden.
