Broward school leaders have begun a campaign to educate voters about a referendum on the ballot to renew a tax voters approved in 2018 and renewed in 2022 to pay salaries to teachers and other employees, and for mental health, safety and security.

If voters say yes, homeowners would continue to pay the tax. Instead of asking Broward residents to give the school district more money when it is losing students and revenue at record numbers, leadership should embark on a campaign to educate residents of the need to close and consolidate schools and shrink the number of district employees.

The savings generated from that effort could be used to increase employee salaries and security for the remaining students. Broward should wisely look to Palm Beach County and see that it cut 244 employees because of a decline in 5,990 students, or 3.78%.

Broward schools this year have lost over 10,000 students, or 4.4%. Taxing residents beyond the normal school taxes that are paid to keep a bloated, emptying school system afloat ignores the bigger problem, and it is irresponsible.

— Howard A. Tescher, Fort Lauderdale

Editor’s Note: The school system says an “average” Broward homeowner with a home that has a market value of $653,000 would continue to pay an annual tax of $418, or about $35 a month.

The perils of Amendment 3

I’m writing as a concerned citizen. The property tax proposal does not reduce state spending; it reduces the revenue that counties and cities use to provide essential local services.

If local governments lose substantial funding, the consequences could include reduced water quality monitoring and environmental protection; less funding for bay, beach and canal cleanups; more potholes; delayed road repairs; deteriorating infrastructure; increased roadside litter and illegal dumping; and cuts to animal control and shelter services.

It could mean lower response times for police, fire and EMS; fewer resources for mental health, homelessness and public health; reduced public transportation; and shorter park hours.

It could mean delays in storm preparation, drainage maintenance, and flood-mitigation projects, and higher local fees and assessments as counties and cities look for ways to replace their lost revenue.

Services don’t disappear because the need goes away; they disappear because the money does. So far, there is no plan to make up for a gutting of local revenue. So, before voting, ask yourself if your community can maintain its quality of life, infrastructure, and public services with significantly less local revenue. Learn about this proposal before casting your vote.

— Jennifer Shipley, Hollywood

Blatant vote-buying

How can Trump get away with even an empty promise of paying voters? Isn’t this the height of illegal vote-tampering? He is doing his best to destroy voter confidence in free, legal elections. This latest promise to give voters cash is as empty as all his other cash promises.

Don’t people see that?

This is the most extreme display of Trump’s desperation. Don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain. Don’t trust your own eyes. Just drink the Kool-Aid, no matter what you see.

I know that we letter-writers are mostly preaching to the choir, but i also know that some logical, ethical, law-abiding people still read this paper. I appeal to everyone: See this latest stunt for what it is — a desperate illegal attempt to buy votes. Unfortunately, people are so desperate to feed their families, they may fail to see this lie for what it is.

— Barbra Nightingale, Hollywood

The Tate brothers and Trump

The execrable Tate brothers, Andrew and Tristan, are jailed in Miami while they fight extradition to the UK on sex trafficking charges. They have similar charges pending in Romania. The Sun Sentinel has published multiple articles on this.

The most recent article (by The Associated Press) ended with this: “The brothers are avid supporters of President Donald Trump.” It is immaterial, and pointlessly pejorative, to mention that a specific ne’er-do-well supports a political figure.

— Gerard S. (Jerry) Williams, Southwest Ranches

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