Hillsborough County Commission blocks tax increasing pay for teachers: 'Unprecedented action'

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County School Superintendent Van Ayres, school board members and supporters of public education held a news conference on Wednesday afternoon after county commissioners voted 4-3 to keep a proposed property tax that would benefit schools off of this year's ballot.

The school board said the news conference was "in response to the unprecedented action taken this morning by the Hillsborough County Commission regarding the school district's millage referendum."

Superintendent Van Ayres was trying to get the referendum on the November ballot to help give teachers and administrators raises. The proposed tax would levy $1 on every $1,000 of taxable property value, and collections would begin in 2025. The district estimates the millage would raise an estimated $177 million to support Hillsborough’s students each year.

"It’s puzzling to all of us in Hillsborough County Public Schools as to why four county commissioners are taking the choice out of the hands of the voter. Our school board voted in April to invest in our students and allow voters to make a decision," said Ayres. "County commissioners have an administrative duty to place the referendum on the ballot, but some are refusing to do their job."

Florida law would not allow the tax proposal to be killed outright, according to District 7 County Commissioner Joshua Wostal.

"The law is clear that we don't have the option to say no," Wostal said during a commissioners' meeting on Wednesday.

Wostal moved that the referendum date should be changed from November 2024 to 2026.

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"We all know that our teachers are underpaid, we hear it all the time and these funds would be used if the voters pass this. That's what it's gonna be used for, and we have teachers leaving our counties going next door in other counties to work. Let's take care of our teachers who help our children right here in our counties," shared District 3 County Commissioner Gwen Myers.

District 1 County Commissioner Harry Cohen also called for giving "the people the right to make the choice."

"The right thing to do is to put it in front of the voters at the time when the elected school board asked us to do it," argued Cohen.

During the meeting, District 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan said that the timing could not be worse for raising taxes with many residents struggling with the "devastating impacts of inflation."

Board members Ken Hagan, Christine Miller and Donna Cameron Cepeda, and Joshua Wostal voted to change the referendum date to November 2026. While members Pat Kemp, Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers supported giving residents the chance to vote on the tax during this year's election.

Superintendent Ayres has requested a special school board meeting for Tuesday, July 23rd at 2 p.m. for the school board to authorize him to seek all appropriate legal action to ensure the millage referendum is on the ballot this year.

"We’ll be asking a judge to compel the county commission to do the statutorily required duty," said Ayres.

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