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Red Clay District Property Tax Increase Upheld by Court

Don Rush

DOVER, Del. (AP) - A Delaware judge has upheld a 2015 school district election in which residents approved a property tax increase, despite finding that the district's advocacy for the tax hike violated the state's constitution.

In a 186-page ruling Wednesday, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster said the Red Clay district violated a constitutional clause aimed at ensuring free and equal elections by holding 75 family-focused election day events at polling places, which served as rewards for students' families and drew them to the polls.  He also said Red Clay violated the elections clause by engaging in a one-sided campaign in favor of the tax increase that went far beyond the limited advocacy permitted.

Laster nevertheless upheld the results, saying there was no indication that officials acted with ill will or bad faith.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.