SchoolsThursday, November 5
Leon County voters approve both school tax measures for teacher pay and upgrades
The Daily Tallahassee team
If you voted Tuesday, you helped pass both Leon County school measures, two of eight local amendments on the ballot. Voters approved a one-mill property tax for employee pay and renewed the half-cent sales tax, which will continue for another 15 years.
- One-mill levy: more than 66% yes
- Sales tax renewal: nearly 68% yes
- Sales tax pays for safety, construction, renovations, technology and buses
- Levy starts next July and runs four years
$200more a year in property tax on a $200,000 home
That's the cost of the one-mill levy on a $200,000 home, per WCTV.
Source: WCTV
Superintendent Rocky Hanna said the two measures are worth about $60 million a year, including about $32 million from the sales tax. The levy lets the district bring beginning teacher salaries over $50,000, and about 90 percent of the new millage revenue will go to pay. Union president Scott Mazur put the average raise at about $6,000.
The money isn't instant. The district doesn't expect new property tax revenue until late 2027 or early 2028, and Hanna plans to bring more proposed cuts to the School Board in January. Wakulla County voters approved a new one-mill tax, and Gadsden County voters approved a new half-cent sales tax for schools.
New school tax money starts arriving after a long wait
- Nov. 3Voters approve the one-mill levy and the sales tax renewal.
- JanuaryHanna plans to present another round of proposed cuts to the School Board.
- Next JulyThe one-mill levy starts and runs for four years.
- Late 2027New levy money is expected to start arriving, possibly as late as Jan. 2028.
Sources: wtwcfox, WCTV, Tallahassee Democrat, WTXL ABC 27