Pinellas school board favors asking voters for a property tax increase

LARGO — Pinellas County voters will decide in November whether they want to double the local-option property tax that supports school teacher salaries and arts programs.

The increase to $1 per $1,000 of assessed value would allow the district and charter schools to boost each teacher’s annual pay by just over $11,000 a year, while for the first time offering support employees an additional $2,910 a year. It also would provide expanded funding for arts field trips, early literacy initiatives and classroom technology, among other permitted expenses.

If the referendum fails, the added revenue it generates — about $60 million last year — would end along with the things it pays for, district officials said.

The school board unanimously backed the concept during a workshop on Tuesday.

“I think it’s very important when we are proposing something, even a minimal tax increase, for the voters to have a say,” board member Stephanie Meyer said. “I expect them to support it again. It’s really important.”

Vice chairperson Carol Cook said it’s not her desire to increase taxes. But the need to remain competitive in finding and keeping highly qualified teachers and staff in Pinellas schools has become more challenging over time, as more nearby districts have adopted similar property taxes at higher rates, she added.

“We need to do everything we can to keep them,” Cook said. “While money is not always the answer, I think it helps.”

The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 after all applicable exemptions would pay $400 a year for the tax, up from $200 currently. The median 2023 home assessed value was about $198,000 in St. Petersburg, and about $253,000 in Palm Harbor.

Beth Rawlins, a political consultant who has spearheaded the referendum since its 2004 inception, told board members that two decades ago the tax rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value sufficed. Pinellas was one of only two districts in Florida to have such a tax, she noted, making it immediately competitive.

Now, all districts in the region except Hillsborough County have the property tax, and theirs are at the $1 per $1,000 level. The others also have local sales taxes and impact fees to support capital projects, superintendent Kevin Hendrick noted, giving them added budget resources that Pinellas does not have.

Even with an increased rate, Rawlins contended the tax is a bargain for expanding children’s exposure to the arts, reading and technology, and providing them the best available teachers and staff.

“I don’t take asking voters for their support lightly. It’s a big deal,” Rawlins said. “I really believe the voters deserve transparency and accountability. … I think we have proven ourselves over the last 20 years, and I think the results have spoken volumes.”

The 2020 referendum received 80% voter support, the highest level since its inception.

Board members did not ask for any changes to the proposal during their workshop. They will formally consider a resolution to place the item on the November ballot during their May 14 meeting.

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The item would next go to the Board of County Commissioners for placement on the ballot. That vote is administrative and is not expected to be controversial.