Butler County QuestionButler County schools: 6.3-cent property tax increase for school facilities
What your vote means
A YES (FOR) vote lets the Butler County school board raise the school property tax by 6.3 cents for every $100 of taxed property value, about $63 a year on a $100,000 property.
An AGAINST vote cancels the 6.3-cent increase, so the school property tax stays at its current rate of 42.1 cents per $100.
Our one-line summary of the official wording.
In plain words
Our summary of the official materials and local reporting.
- The school board approved a tax increase on Oct. 1, 2025, raising the rate from 42.1 cents to 48.4 cents per $100 of taxed value (the 6.3 cents is the difference). source: wbko.com
- Three residents filed a petition on Nov. 17, 2025 asking for a public vote on it; the county clerk certified the petition on Dec. 17, 2025, so the question is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot unless the board calls a special election. source: wbko.com
- The district calls this a 'recallable nickel': a tax increase the board can pass, but voters can force a vote on it. It says the state budget already counts about $780,000 in matching state money for Butler County if the increase stands. source: butler.kyschools.us
Cost: About $63 a year on a $100,000 property, says the district (cars and trucks are not taxed). The district says the state would add about $1.95 for every $1 raised locally.
Why people want it, and why others object
Why this is on the ballot
- Butler County Schools says its costs are rising: property insurance, an aging bus fleet and aging buildings, federal funding cuts, ending grants, and about $370,000 a year in state requirements the state does not pay for. source: butler.kyschools.us
Why supporters want it
- Butler County Schools (the district) says the money is needed for rising property insurance costs, an aging bus fleet and buildings, federal cuts and unfunded state mandates, and that its rate would still be one of the lowest in Kentucky and the lowest among neighboring counties. source: butler.kyschools.us
Why opponents object
No public statement found.
Who backs each side
- The petition forcing the vote was filed by Joseph Harris Henderson, James Travis McIntosh and William Tyler Overstreet. The article gives no reasons from them or anyone else on this side. source: wbko.com
In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.
What you will see on your ballot
Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)
Word for word from the Kentucky Secretary of State's official Butler County sample ballot (page image checked against its text version): sos.ky.gov (Secretary of State) .
QUESTION
Are you for or against the Butler County Board of Education levying a real estate and personal property tax of six and three-tenths cents ($0.063) on each one hundred dollars ($100.00), to provide funding for school facilities that are safe, up to date, and compliant with state standards?
- FOR
- AGAINST
Latest news
Recent reporting from a range of outlets, newest first. We link to it; we don't endorse it.
No articles collected yet for this measure.