JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Councilwoman Tyrona Clark-Murray, who faces a possible suspension without pay from her Duval County Public Schools teaching job, hosted a town hall to urge residents to reject Amendment 3 and back a 1-mill school tax renewal.
The suspension is pending approval from the school board.
Clark-Murray declined to comment on the matter Thursday night before hosting a town hall at Hyde Park Elementary.
RELATED | DCPS confirms Jacksonville council member removed from classroom amid HR investigation
“I can’t say anything right now, but I’m going to confer with my lawyer, and we’re going to talk about whether or not we’re going to host a press conference after,” she said.
The town hall focused on Amendment 3 and Duval County Public Schools’ proposed 1-mill property tax renewal, both of which will appear on the November ballot.
Clark-Murray said her goal was to educate constituents about the potential financial impact of Amendment 3.
“These are some crucial times,” Clark-Murray said. “What I want to do, my goal is to educate my constituents … to help them come to that conclusion that, hey, yes, I may save $1,000, but my city is going to lose hundreds of millions.”
The crowd was small, but that didn’t stop a lively discussion. One resident related what could happen to the city budget to personal budgets when talking about making tough decisions.
Daniel Hagans, who attended the town hall, said he plans to vote against Amendment 3.
“I wanted to get an explanation of it, and my councilperson did a good job doing that,” Hagans said.
Clark-Murray also discussed the 1-mill renewal sought by Duval County Public Schools. The district has said the tax helps fund teacher compensation, providing teachers with an additional $8,000 to $9,000 per year.
“Florida ranks dead last in terms of teacher pay — last,” Clark-Murray said. “So the 1-mill is going to do a few things … It’s going to help with teacher retention.”
Hagans said he plans to support the 1-mill renewal because his niece is a school principal.
“It may cost me some extra money or more money, but I think in the end it’ll be well worth whatever financial cost is required to fund that,” he said.
Both Amendment 3 and the 1-mill renewal will be on Duval County’s November ballot.
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.