MUSCLE SHOALS — The Muscle Shoals Board of Education passed two resolutions asking the Colbert County Commission to add the 2014 and 2015 school tax renewals to an April 9 ballot.

Muscle Shoals is the second Colbert County school board to ask that tax renewals be brought before voters before they expire. The Tuscumbia school board passed a similar resolution Tuesday night.

School board members said seeking the renewal early will save the county money since there is already a vote scheduled for April on two countywide school taxes.

"We are trying to be financially minded," Muscle Shoals Board of Education member Terri Snipes said. "It costs the county a lot of money to have an election."

Up for early renewal are a 3-mill and a 5-mill tax to be levied within the corporate limits of Muscle Shoals. The only change is extending the life of the taxes from 10 to 25 years.

The taxes, which are assessed as part of county property tax, are used for regular school operations, Superintendent Jeff Wooten said. He said school systems must collect at least 10 mills in property tax to qualify for state education funding.

Wooten said he feels confident the Colbert County Commission will heed the requests from the school systems. He said representatives from the Colbert County school districts will address the Colbert County Commission at its Feb. 5 meeting.

Jennifer Edwards can be reached at 256-740-5754 or jennifer.edwards@TimesDaily.com.