Is a school system’s campaign for a ballot referendum legal?
OVERSTEPPING THE LAW?: Guilford County School System has engaged in an all-out promotion in favor of voting for a tax sales tax referendum.
By Marcus Kindley | WatchdogWire.com
When a school system campaigns for a sales tax referendum in an upcoming election, is this overstepping North Carolina law, which ensures “that public funds are not used for political or partisan activities?”
On the ballot in Guilford County is a proposal for a ¼ cent tax increase of the sales tax. The tax goes into the general fund of the county,and cannot be earmarked for the schools. But some commissioners have “promised” to use the funds raised by the tax for the schools even though there is no guarantee that will happen.
The Guilford County School System has engaged in an all-out promotion in favor of voting for the tax increase including pages on the GCSS main website, printable fliers encouraging distribution, the partnering with Boy Scouts of America to spread the word through their channels, a robo-call by a local high school and videos by various principals.
