While Fifth-District County Commissioner said last week that she feels a wheel tax should be implemented in the county to help fund the construction of new schools, she said at Monday night’s monthly commission meeting that she will wait for the results until the school board gets the results of its feasibility study.

“I have spoken with Patrick Cripps Friday and today. They are actually meeting with the Upland Group Architectural firm, and they are going to be getting them to do a more in-depth feasibility study. With that study they will be able to tell us specifically what they desire and the cost on that. We’ll hold off on making any decisions about how to approve that revenue until we follow up with the board of education about what their desires are,” Puckett said.

The County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS) recently conducted a building feasibility study which concluded that more classrooms space is needed at the lower elementary grade level in DeKalb County. The school board has included $20,000 for its own school building feasibility study in its tentative 2017-18 budget.

Puckett, an assistant Principal at Smithville Elementary School, told commissioners at an all-committees meeting Thursday night that she felt a wheel tax was in order.

“We’re in dire need of a new school,” she said. “The need is pretty much pre-K through 8 but we can build any type of school in that range as far as the need. My point is whatever they (school board) chooses to build, we need to start looking at approving revenue to build a school. I mentioned to the education committee about a wheel tax. I know that is a sensitive subject but it is a very strong way of generating revenue to build schools. The average age of our schools is 41 years old. The newest building (Northside Elementary) is 17 years old. There is a need. It’s time to be building some schools. Its time to be moving forward.”

While the commission can vote to approve a wheel tax, passage would require a two-thirds vote on two separate readings, at least a month apart. Local citizens could force a public referendum on the matter with a petition drive during that time.

The county commission took no action on the matter.