May 9, 2023.

Any registered voter in the city limits of Vestavia Hills.

Your polling place may have changed following the 2020 Census when new district lines were drawn. Click here to see an updated list of polling locations.

The absentee voting period closed on Thursday, May 4.

Shall the City of Vestavia Hills be authorized to levy and collect at the rate of 3.54% (or 35.4 mills on each dollar) of the assessed value of taxable property in the City (being an increase of 9.8 mills), the special ad valorem tax authorized at elections held on April 28, 1970, May 8, 1990, and March 11, 2014, and now being levied at the rate of 25.6 mills; said tax at the increased rate of 35.4 mills to be levied and the proceeds thereof to be used by the Vestavia Hills City Board of Education for public school purposes in the City; said increase to be effective for each tax year of the City commencing with the tax year for which taxes of the City will become due and payable on October 1, 2023, and continuing for each successive tax year thereafter, without limit as to time.

• FOR

• AGAINST

The total millage that property owners in Vestavia Hills currently pay equals 92.6 mills. This is generated from a combination of state, county, and city taxes. Vestavia Hills City Schools receives 52.05 of the 92.6 mills. The 52.05 mills comes from the following taxes: 

• 23.3 mills from county property tax, plus

• 25.6 mills from city property tax, plus

• 3.15 mills from city property tax

Which equals 52.05 mills. 

The election is to increase the 25.6-mill city property tax to 35.4 mills (which equals a rate of 3.54% of assessed value of property). 

October 1, 2023, and will continue for each tax year thereafter.

May 8, 1990.

The property tax increase will be 9.8 mills. You can find out how much this will increase your property tax by using the calculator on the home page. You can also refer to this chart to see tax increase estimates.

The total millage is 92.6 mills. This is generated from a combination of state, county, and city taxes. Vestavia Hills City Schools receives 52.05 of the 92.6 mills.

All revenue generated from the tax increase will go to the school system. The $8.2 million annual budget allocates 61% to facilities improvements, 22% to instructional programs and support, and 17% to operational expenses. You can see a budget breakdown here and a listing of the estimated construction program costs here.

The Vestavia Hills Elementary Central building is being sold, but the Board of Education will retain the Shawntel Dixon Jones Memorial Track located behind the school. The interior portion of the track, which is currently a soccer field, will be converted into a seven-court tennis facility including a center court, bathrooms, improved parking, and space for the future addition of pickleball courts. Youth soccer teams using the Central field will move their games to Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge, which has a better playing surface and field lighting. This project will be completed before the tennis courts are removed at Vestavia Hills High School.

82% of the school system budget is spent on employee salaries and benefits, with the remaining amount spent on operations and instructional support. There have been 5 state-mandated employee raises in the past 8 years, additional debt service on projects to accommodate enrollment growth of more than 1,000 students, and increasing operational costs. Vestavia Hills City Schools ranks behind Mountain Brook in per-pupil expenditures from local funding. 

This chart shows a comparison of the school system's revenues and expenditures over the past 8 years. The jump in expenditures in 2019 was related to additional payments the school system made to complete construction work on the new Louis Pizitz Middle School and Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge campuses. For the 2023 fiscal year, Vestavia Hills City Schools is operating with a 1-month budget reserve.