Guest Op/Ed: Don't be Afraid to Vote No on School Property Tax

The Manatee County School District has a $1 billion budget, yet 51 percent of 3rd graders fail to read at grade level. The extra 1 mill tax did not improve this leading indicator, even with additional revenues, and an extra half hour of class time, because it’s a management problem, not a money problem.

Teachers are essential employees, and essential employees should be compensated in full out of the operating budget. This is not only fair, it’s prudent fiscal policy. Yet, because of the board’s mismanagement, teachers are being exploited to campaign for their own compensation. The board is failing to do its job. They are hiding behind teachers. Payroll is a permanent, reoccurring operating expense. The 1 mill is temporary. It’s bad management to pay essential employees from a temporary source. The signs should read "Save Our Teachers from the Board.“

They certainly make sure their administrators are covered. Previously, the district stated that high-level administrators would not benefit from millage money, yet six high-level employees received raises four months after the tax passed in 2018.

Here’s the truth: it’s possible to pay teachers WITHOUT an additional tax. The board receives additional non-millage revenue each year from new construction and higher property values. This year alone, they will receive an additional $13+ Million. The board could do zero-based budgeting and cut waste from the district’s $1 billion budget. A former chairman of the school board stated there is "10 percent low hanging fruit [waste].“

Think about this: For the last 6 years, $13 Million on average has been budgeted for instructional services (which is teacher pay), but never spent. It’s in the budget to pay teachers! Last year, the district spent (actual) $300 million on instructional services from the general operating budget. This year, they budgeted $333 million for teachers, $33 million more. It’s in the budget without the millage money. The board has never done a deep dive into its bulging budget to analyze how much money it really needs. This is backward thinking.

When the previous tax passed in 2018, the board was asked to avoid putting teachers in this predicament in the future. With the increase in taxes from property values and revenue from new construction, the board could have moved a portion of teachers’ "millage compensation“ over into the Operating Budget each year to give teachers income security. But they didn’t. And they won’t. That’s by design. They use fear to get people to vote. What a terrible way to manipulate the community.

In 2018, the district stated that it needed $33 Million so urgently they had to hold a special election. In the first year alone, the district received $37 million due to higher property values and new home construction. They received so much money, the district could not spend it all. In the 4th year, it will raise around $47 million. Remember, they only "needed“ $33 million.

The average of this tax will generate approximately $53 Million per year. That’s almost double the request from 3 years ago. The superintendent was questioned about the excess money that came in. In pure bureaucratic entitlement, she said, "Don’t worry, we’ll find something to spend it on." So, the board keeps adding new ways to spend more money, without protecting teachers. Keep in mind that a tax that increases every year negatively impacts our seniors on fixed incomes.

Prior to the vote in 2018, the board made an "ironclad“ commitment that if the tax passed, it would establish an independent financial oversight committee to examine the entire school budget. Right after the tax passed, the board reduced the scope of the committee so it could not oversee the entire budget–they could only examine millage funds. And what did the citizens’ Financial Oversight Committee (CFOC) find? For three years in a row, the CFOC could not conclude the current 1 mill tax successfully accomplished the goals of the tax.

The board knows that fewer people vote in special elections, and stacks the vote with district allies. In 2018, the board wasted $300K of our tax dollars on a special election. This November 2, it will waste another $400K. That’s $700K that didn’t need to be spent, a clear example of the wasteful and careless spending by the board. The board knew it could have placed this tax vote on last year’s Nov. 2020 ballot at no additional cost. Instead, they chose to manipulate the outcome of the vote with a special election.

Here’s another example of the board’s wasteful mindset: the district-wide computer software system (called ERP) was originally approved at $9.3 Million. It is now up to $29+ Million. The district knows it can switch to a proven software system in use by 2/3 of other school districts in Florida. This would save $1+ Million per year, but they refuse. The board has had years to be prudent, but they don’t remedy their mistakes, even at a cost of millions to the public.

Teachers and students suffer from terrible leadership from the top. This community must stop enabling the board’s poor decisions. The Manatee County Republican Party isn’t enabling them. It leads the community as it passed a resolution opposing the tax.

Stop rewarding mismanagement! It’s time to say ENOUGH. Send a clear message to the Board. Demand the Board VALUE OUR TEACHERS! Trust yourself. It’s ok to vote NO. It’s the right thing to do. Vote NO on November 2.