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Marion County approves voluntary contribution box on tax statements for school funding
Summary
The Marion County court approved an ordinance to add a voluntary contribution option on property tax statements to allow taxpayers to donate toward school funding; members discussed display options and whether a minimum donation should be required.
Marion County court members approved an ordinance to establish a voluntary contribution on property tax statements for real and personal property to raise funds for schools.
The ordinance directs adding a contribution option on the tax statement; officials discussed how the contribution would appear on the bill. One member asked whether it would appear as a small boxed line like an example shown by another official and whether the county's tax-statement software would support the design.
Several officials described prior conversations with county staff and outside contacts about implementation. One speaker said they had spoken with John Russo and Tammy Gilmore multiple times and that efforts with a previous vendor did not work out; another said the county's software team can implement the appearance once given specifications.
Members also discussed whether the ordinance should set a minimum donation. The audio records a comment that "they were asking for a minimum of a $15 donation" and that "now it's $10," followed by a note that the ordinance text includes the phrase 'more or less' and therefore does not impose a strict minimum on the contribution. One official said they did not want taxpayers limited to a minimum amount.
The court voted in favor of placing the voluntary contribution on the tax statement and moved to the next agenda item.
