Gulf Shores and Orange Beach City Schools have been arguing for "Fair Tax" distribution by Baldwin County Board of Education. Tony Kennon, Mayor of Orange Beach, has taken his case to the airwaves and defended his position on the Jeff Poor's Show Wednesday. The show was broadcasted live on FM Talk 106.5.

At the center of the Mayor's discussion is a share of Baldwin County's 40% one-cent sales tax for the Orange Beach and Gulf Shores school system. Legislation brought by State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) and State Rep. Francis Holk-Jones (R-Foley) would grant the two municipal systems a share.

RELATED ARTICLE: Gulf Shores and Orange Beach City Schools Call Sales Tax Distribution Unfair

Baldwin County School Superintendent Eddie Tyler has disputed the city's right to any further funds from the county once the island schools decided to break from the county system.

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are the largest producers of tax revenue for the county and millions in education funding for the city schools is at stake.

While the County School Superintendent stated the distribution would violate the deal the two municipalities made with the county when they broke away, Mayor Kennon has disputed the arrangement. Kennon insists that such a deal never existed and there was merit in Orange Beach's decision to split from the county system.

KENNON SECTION OF JEFF POOR SHOW:

"I'm trying to be diplomatic, but it's a lie. Chris Elliott, Robert Craft and others would not have told me that six years ago — that it was going to be readjusted in 2024 by something Chris would submit legislative-wise if it wasn't true. There's just no logic in somebody making up a lie six years ago. I just don't believe it. I believe Chris, I believe Robert. I know for a fact when— as far as I'm concerned, it was a fact that when the settlement agreement was made, part of it was that they were going to reevaluate and readjust the tax to accommodate new school systems. And any city in this county should be concerned about it because eventually there's going to be a breakaway, a breakaway especially as they see the success we're having in the city school system, because we know that anything, the more local something becomes, the more efficient it becomes. And we've proven that over and over, you know. County hovers around 24, 25, 26th in the state. In two years of being a city system, we went to number five, number six. I mean, it just works better when everything's local."

Mayor Kennon added "And, you know, I'm biased because the county system is an NEA-AEA controlled system. It's the Democrat system. It's the liberal system. It's more about managing mediocrity than it is excellence. And then I hate that. Especially in Baldwin County, which has a degree of influence. We should be doing much better. But the promise was made to reallocate. The promise was made to reallocate 2024."

Currently there has been legislation by Congressional members. State Senator Chris Elliott and Representative Frances Holk-Jones have introduced bills (HB-421 & SB136) which would ensure the fair funding of the schools.

Sections of this content were produced by "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.