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Hillsborough School Board Opposes Tax Amendment

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By MARILYN BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

Updated: 01/23/2008 12:12 am

TAMPA - Hillsborough County School Board members voted Tuesday to take a united stand against Amendment 1, the proposal being pushed by Gov. Charlie Crist as tax relief for property owners.

Board chairwoman Jennifer Faliero cast the sole vote against the board's stand, saying the state has a committee looking at constitutional amendments. Board member Doretha Edgecomb was not at the meeting.

"I don't believe in making changes to the constitution," Faliero told her fellow board members. "I'm concerned about taking a position as a board. It's just a personal thing I have."

Later she said, "We need to be informing the public about the pros and cons of voting one way or the other. It's our role to inform people as to how this would impact public education. It is not our role to take a position as a board to tell people how to vote."

Voters will decide Tuesday on the amendment, which calls for doubling the homestead exemption, allowing homeowners to transfer up to $500,000 of the Save Our Homes benefit if they move, creating a $25,000 exemption on tangible property and capping increases on nonhomesteaded properties' taxable value.

Until Tuesday, the school board was in the same neutral position as the Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission.

Board member April Griffin changed that when she asked the board to take a stand at the end of a brief, special meeting to approve bids.

"We're going to be robbing Peter to pay Paul," Griffin said, referring to fears that the state will rely on local governments to raise local taxes and fees to make up for state revenue lost if the amendment passes. "As an owner of two properties," Griffin said, "I don't feel what they've put together is good enough."

Veteran board member Candy Olson seconded Griffin's motion.

"It's a shell game," Olson said. "We weren't elected to play nice with the Legislature - it hasn't gotten us anywhere."

District officials estimate passage of the amendment could siphon more than $35 million from district coffers by 2010.

When board member Susan Valdes suggested trying to bring city and county officials together to form "a stronger force," fellow board member Jack Lamb told her that time is running out.

Tampa City Council chairwoman Gwen Miller said Tuesday that she would consider bringing up the issue at Thursday's council meeting. Other council members, including Linda Saul-Sena and Tom Scott, said they likely would support a motion to oppose the property tax amendment, but didn't plan to bring it up themselves.

Councilman Charlie Miranda said, "That's up to the public to decide how they want the government to function." City estimates show a loss of $11 million this year if the amendment passes.

The Hillsborough County Commission has not taken a stand on the amendment, but commissioners have given County Administrator Pat Bean the green light to speak publicly on the implications for county revenue. Bean said the amendment's passage would cut the county's revenue by $70 million.

Bean said the commission has been reluctant to take positions on statewide amendments since counties pushed for passage of a revision to Article 5 that took effect in 2004. It gave the state control and responsibility for operational costs of the court systems.

After the revision, the county had to assume the $10 million yearly cost of the juvenile detention system with no say over how the system was run.

The Florida Association of Counties also has declined to take a stand on Amendment 1, but association leaders are traveling the state pointing out potential effects on local governments.

The Florida Education Association and Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association are fighting the amendment.

Reporters Ellen Gedalius and Mike Salinero contributed to this report. Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069 or mbrown@tampatrib.com.

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