Fort Smith School District v. Beebe

2009 Ark. 333, 322 S.W.3d 1, 2009 Ark. LEXIS 368
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJune 4, 2009
Docket08-618
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 2009 Ark. 333 (Fort Smith School District v. Beebe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fort Smith School District v. Beebe, 2009 Ark. 333, 322 S.W.3d 1, 2009 Ark. LEXIS 368 (Ark. 2009).

Opinion

ANNABELLE CLINTON IMBER, Justice.

12Appellants consist of various school districts in Arkansas 1 and James O. Cox, a taxpayer and resident of the Greenwood School District (together “Appellants”). Appellants originally filed a complaint against Mike Huckabee, in his capacity as Governor of Arkansas, and other state officials 2 (together “Appellees”), on May 30, 2003. The original complaint alleged that Appellees were illegally diverting equalization funds (now called “foundation funds”) to satisfy court-ordered desegregation costs in Pulaski County and to provide additional base funding for school districts that did not meet other funding standards. On September 4, 2003, Appellants filed their first amended complaint and raised the additional claim that Appellees were “divert[ing] funds from the Uniform Rate of Tax under Amendment 74 ... contrary to law.” The first amended complaint also alleged that Appellees were diverting funds from the Educational Excellence Trust Fund “contrary to law.”

Eventually, on May 24, 2005, Appellants filed another Complaint and Motion for Injunctive Relief, in which they asserted that “[t]his is an action for, among other things, lüillegal exaction and injunctive relief.” The 2005 complaint alleges that Ap-pellees were constructively retaining and unlawfully diverting funds derived from Amendment 74 property taxes and funds allocated to the Educational Excellence Trust Fund. Shortly thereafter, Appellees filed a motion to dismiss Appellants’ complaint. The motion listed six grounds for dismissal: (1) Appellants lack standing to bring this action; (2) Appellants’ complaint failed to state a claim on which relief could be granted; (3) the claims are barred by res judicata; (4) some of Appellants’ claims are not ripe for adjudication; (5) Appellants’ complaint failed to name necessary and indispensable parties; and (6) the State is immune from suit in state court for money damages. The circuit judge denied Appellees’ motion to dismiss on October 26, 2006.

On August 8, 2007, Appellants moved for summary judgment. Appellees responded by filing their own motion for summary judgment on August 28, 2007, in which they listed the following grounds: (1) Appellants’ claim for money damages are barred by Article 5, Section 2 of the Arkansas Constitution; (2) Appellants’ claims are barred by res judicata; (3) Appellants’ “funds type” illegal-exaction claim entitles them to prospective injunctive relief only; (4) Appellants’ claims relating to acts prior to 2002 are barred by the applicable statute of limitations; (5) Appellant school districts are neither taxpayers nor citizens and lack standing to sue for illegal-exaction; (6) Appellant James O. Cox’s claims for refund of taxes spent prior to 2005 are barred by the voluntary payment rule; (7) Appellants’ claims for injunctive relief are barred by separation of powers; (8) Appellants fail to state a claim |4upon which relief can be granted; and (9) Appellants’ claims for injunctive relief are moot. On March 28, 2008, the circuit court denied Appellants’ motion for summary judgment and granted summary judgment in favor of Appellees. It is from this order that Appellants appeal. We have jurisdiction over the instant case pursuant to Ark. Sup.Ct. R. 1 — 2(a)(1) and (b)(1), (3), (4) and (5) (2009).

I. Standard of Review

In reviewing summary judgment cases, this court need only decide if the trial court’s grant of summary judgment was appropriate based on whether the evidence presented by the moving party left a material question of fact unanswered. Parker v. Perry, 355 Ark. 97, 131 S.W.3d 338 (2003). The moving party always bears the burden of sustaining a motion for summary judgment. Id. All proof must be viewed in the light most favorable to the resisting party, and any doubts must be resolved against the moving party. Id. The moving party is entitled to summary judgment if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Id.

Once the moving party makes a prima facie showing that it is entitled to summary judgment, the opponent must meet proof with proof showing a material issue of fact. Parker v. Perry, supra. However, if a moving party fails to offer proof on a controverted issue, summary judgment is not appropriate, regardless of whether the nonmoving party presents the court with any countervailing evidence. Id.

|JI. Whether Appellees Constructively Retained, or Misapplied, the Uniform Rate of Tax Funds

Appellants argue that amendment 74 provides funding for education in addition to state funding. They assert that the General Assembly, by subsequent legislative enactments, has used the growth in funding from ad valorem tax collections under the amendment to make a corresponding reduction in state foundation-funding aid. Appellants further suggest that, while the revenue generated from each county’s ad valorem tax collection grows with changing property assessments, the State should still be required to contribute the same amount of foundation funding per student, even if that results in a total per pupil amount over that set by the General Assembly pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-20-2305 (Repl.2007).

Appellees counter Appellants’ claims by asserting that amendment 74 does not place any limits on the General Assembly as to how it appropriates the money in excess of that generated by amendment 74. While Appellees acknowledge that the General Assembly must provide a substantially equal opportunity for an adequate education to the students of this State, they also point out that the Uniform Rate of Tax (“URT”) alone generates nowhere near enough funding to meet the adequacy amounts set out in Ark. Code Ann. § 6-20-2305.

In effect, Appellants claim that there has been an illegal exaction because the State has retained and misapplied funds that were meant solely for the purpose of education. Article 16, section 13 of the Arkansas Constitution permits a citizen of this state to pursue Ran illegal-exaction claim. This court has stated that

White v. Ark. Capital Corp./Diamond State Ventures, 365 Ark. 200, 206, 226 S.W.3d 825, 830 (2006) (internal citations omitted). This is a public funds case, and to prevail on their claim, Appellants must show that the State misapplied or illegally spent money that was lawfully collected pursuant to ad valorem property taxes.

In November 1996, the state’s voters adopted amendment 74 to the Arkansas Constitution, amending article 14, section 3. Article 14, section 3 now reads in relevant part as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
2009 Ark. 333, 322 S.W.3d 1, 2009 Ark. LEXIS 368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fort-smith-school-district-v-beebe-ark-2009.