As a father who will eventually see three children graduate from Fayette County Public Schools, I’m not opposed to an increase in funding to bolster our schools. Let’s be clear: education is an investment, and Fayette County deserves to be on par with the funding levels of large districts like Jefferson County. If we want quality education, we need to be willing to pay for it. Yet, the recent handling of the occupational tax increase by the Fayette County school board was not just sloppy—it was blatantly disrespectful to taxpayers.
The issue here is less about the money itself and more about the methods employed by school board chair Tyler Murphy and his allies. To roll out a $30 million tax increase with just four days’ notice—over a holiday weekend no less—shows a disturbing lack of transparency. This rushed maneuver undermines public trust, smacks of political gamesmanship, and risks long-term damage to our community’s goodwill.
Despite assurances from district spokesperson Dia Davidson Smith, who insists the process was legal, legality does not equal legitimacy. True leadership requires open communication, accountability, and respect for community input. Instead, Murphy and his majority on the board decided to push through this resolution in a manner that suggests they either feared community opposition or lacked confidence in their proposal…