The Volusia County School Board has rejected a push to place this question on the Aug. 18 ballot: Should we raise property taxes to pay teachers higher salaries?
For at least three months, board members have been discussing the proposed ballot initiative sought by the teachers’ union, Volusia United Educators, who were hoping voters would boost revenue for the school district, providing more funds for teacher salaries.
But many board members, particularly after an April 17 workshop, said they heard that many constituents are struggling with rising prices and don’t have the appetite for additional property taxes. The board voted unanimously on May 12 against posing the question.
“For me, it’s not a no. It’s a not right now,” Board Chair Ruben Colón said, adding that “the world is in a worse place right now than it was even a month ago.”
He had previously taken that position, as had member Jamie Haynes, but Jessie Thompson, Donna Brosemer, and Krista Goodrich in April had spoken about leaving the matter to voters.
What changed? For Thompson and Goodrich, outreach by constituents.
“I got phone call after phone call after phone call from people in my district that echoed what you said, Mr. Colón, that there might be some people in our district (for whom) this isn’t a big deal to be added to their taxes,” Thompson said. “But for a lot of people, even $200 is too much right now, and the times have gotten worse since I’ve gotten those phone calls.”
Volusia United Educators’ president ‘disappointed’
Volusia United Educators President Elizabeth Albert has cited polling showing support for the property-tax increase, and noting voters in more than 30 districts around the state have approved an additional property tax to support schools, while more will be considering a similar measure this year.
“If not now, when?” Albert asked in a news release issued May 13.
The additional revenue would have boosted educators’ salaries by a minimum of $3,000 and a maximum of $8,000, Albert said during the board meeting.
“I can honestly say without reservation or hesitation that I am truly disappointed that this opportunity to move this choice to the voters is not going to be acted upon,” Albert said.
Volusia schools superintendent’s reservations
Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin didn’t say much about the ballot initiative at the May 12 meeting.
However, on April 14, Balgobin told board members she wanted to improve teacher salaries, but had concerns about approaching voters in 2026.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for a decrease in property taxes, so the local school district asking for an increase at the same time could be confusing, she said. Also, she cited the fact that previous successful ballot initiatives have been launched many months, if not more than a year ahead of an election, rather than three or four months.
“The timing right now … right now is not the timing,” Balgobin said. “If we were to put this on the ballot for the taxpayers to decide … it’s a very, very short window that we have. So then you’re also going to get questions revolving around the topics, why is it that you (thrust) this on us all of a sudden?”
She and other members have noted that the district also has an additional sales tax approved by voters in 2014 that has raised millions for capital projects. That sales tax — if continued — will have to be approved again by voters in 2030.
“I would love to see this for Volusia County for our employees,” Balgobin said. “But I don’t want to launch something and not have answers to questions that will be asked and for it to go out there and to fail, either. I don’t want that.”
Volusia School Board members cite better stewardship, bad timing
Board member Donna Brosemer said she vacillated between no and letting voters decide. But she believes the district has wasted money.
“I think about how many times we have to redecorate executive suites because we don’t like the color or we don’t like the furniture,” she said.
“I do not see a revenue problem for this district. I see a priority problem ,” Brosemer said. “I believe strongly that this is on us to fix for the teachers.”
Goodrich acknowledged union members “probably won’t love my vote,” and wanted to give voters the option.
But she said she received many calls urging her not to move the proposal forward.
“I’m elected to represent the people that voted for me, and it was overwhelming … is the exact word,” Goodrich said, “of people saying, ‘Please don’t do this right now.’
“I think there’s an opportunity possibly in the future,” Goodrich said, “but District 2 has spoken very loudly, very clearly, and overwhelmingly against this going on the ballot.”
Even as she opposed the ballot question because of concerns that it would likely fail, Haynes said she also received a lot of phone calls, including some where people told her they were choosing between paying for medicine and groceries, and “you want to increase my property taxes?”
Haynes said the timing is wrong to approach voters for a tax hike.
“There’s a lot of my community, and I will say even on my street, most of the people on my street … they’re not in a situation that they could have their property taxes raised because they’re retired and on fixed incomes. … I don’t think this is the time to do this.”
Albert responded to Haynes’ suggestion that some folks are struggling to decide whether to spend their money on groceries or medicine.
“Your employees are those people,” Albert said. “They absolutely are.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia School Board won’t ask voters to support tax hike
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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