TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Leon County Schools are primed to ask voters to continue a half-cent sales tax in place since 2002, and ask voters to increase their property tax rate to cover teacher salaries.
The Leon County Commission will vote next Tuesday on placing the sales tax question on the ballot, while final language for the property tax measure is still under consideration.
According to an LCS presentation, the half-cent sales tax has brought in $400 million from 2012 to 2027. In general, anyone who buys an item inside the capital county pays a half-cent towards the school district.
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At its meeting last April, the school board voted unanimously to at least consider a one-point millage rate increase for property taxes. Voters would also need to approve that program, and November ballots could have both a question for the half-cent sales tax and for the property tax increase.
Leon County Schools are facing budget issues that leaders largely attribute to school choice and lack of funding from the state, but critics say are also borne out of misspending.
Either way, district officials say that if the half-cent sales tax is not renewed, they’ll lose $621,725,394.
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