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Nassau County School Board and the Millage Rate

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Opinion

By We the People

09-26-23

I have just one topic to discuss today: the decision by the Nassau County School Board to stick with the 1 Mill increase to our property taxes, regardless of the fact that it will generate $ millions more than they told us they needed, and regardless of whether they had the ability to reduce the millage rate at the last school board meeting.

While the School Board apparently got what they wanted (SSSS) for the short term, that decision will come back to bite them if they don’t fix this and reduce the rate next year, as they could have and should have done THIS year.

My understanding is that the Florida Department of Revenue DID inform Florida Schools in their TRIM training (which stands for TRUTH IN MILLAGE) [ see https://floridarevenue.com/property/InteractivePresentations/Training/TRIM/story_content/external-files/TRIM_User%20Guide.pdf  ] of what they could have done during the tentative / final budget hearings (i.e. specially at the Board meeting earlier this month)….so it’s not as though they didn’t or shouldn’t have known that they were legally allowed to reduce the mil rate.

Specifically, according to the slides I’ve seen from the Florida Department of Revenue:

  1. TRIM Timetable: “The school district should hold a public hearing on the final budget and final millage rates 65 to 80 days after certification of Value … Days 65-80 = Sept. 3-18. This hearing is published on the TRIM notice the PA mails.”
    1. TRIM Timetable: “At the final hearing, the school district will:
  • Amend the tentatively adopted budget and millage rates
    • Publicly announce the percentage increase in the re-computed millage over the rolled-back rate.
    • Adopt final millage rates and final budget

If the adopted millage rate exceeds the tentatively adopted rate, each taxpayer in the jurisdiction will be notified of the increase by first class mail at the taxing authority’s expense

So, as you can see, the scheduled hearing date was correct.  However, at the final hearing they (the Nassau County School Board) could “amend the tentatively adopted budget and millage rates.”  The board acted as if that could not happen!

I can only image the adopted budget for next year will have the same millage rate issues if the budget people for the schools don’t start looking at what can be reduced starting at their summer 2024 budget workshop meetings. 

Given the millage increase applies for FOUR YEARS, if the school board doesn’t fix this issue themselves in the next budget cycle, we citizens should look at the possibility of getting a referendum voted on again (in 2024) with slight change in wording from last time (to alternative say something like ”up to” 1 mill annually).

Here’s the previous wording of the Official Ballot Language for the November 8, 2022 Nassau County School District Ad Valorem Millage Election:

Of course, the School Board would have to vote to approve to issue revised ballot language, and then have the County Commission would have to vote to approve it, and then the Supervisor of Elections would have to include the revised language as an initiative on the November 2024 ballot for all of us to vote on. THEN WE the PEOPLE VOTE!

So, we all have our work cut out for us.

If you have a financial background (and I know A LOT of you do) please consider running for school board.  

Thank you,

Deb

Deb Boelkes

Founder, Business World Rising, LLC 

Keynote Speaker and award-winning Author of: 

Strong Suit: Leadership Success Secrets from Women on Top

Women on Top: What’s Keeping You From Executive Leadership?

The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture

Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring


The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida.

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