Leon County Schools (LCS) will hold the first tentative public hearing for the 2019-20 budget on July 30th, 2019.
From a local perspective, the budget proposes to lower the millage rate from the 2018-19 level of 6.343 mills to 6.167 mills for 2019-20. However, LCS will receive increased property tax revenue due to an increase in property values.
LCS is required by state law to publicly notice a tax increase.
Documents released by LCS show that revenue from federal, state and local resources for 2019-20 are projected to increase by $15 million to $383.3 million. This is a 4.0% increase over the 2018-19 revenue of $368.3 million.
The LCS documents do not address student enrollment for 2019-2020. However, FDOE records show the number of students enrolled in Leon county schools decreased from 34,268 in 2017-18 to to 33,978 in 2018-19.
Of the $383.3 million in total revenue, federal sources will provide $52.6 million, state sources will provide $183.6 million, and local sources will provide $147.0 million.
Of the $147 million in local sources, $112 million will come from property taxes. This an increase of $2.7 million in property tax revenue over last year, despite the lower millage rate.
Property values in Leon county are projected to increase from $18 billion in 2019 to $19 billion in 2020.
The final vote on the budget and the millage rate will be on September 10th, 2019.
LCS to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed Property Tax Increase added by Steve Stewart on
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All big cities run by Dems-Liberals get run into the ground (states and countries also). Trunp calling out Baltimore was an understatement – it’s poverty and ruin resembles any south American banana republic ghetto, and the murder-crime rates make Chicago and most larger cities look peaceful by comparison. Baltimore, Chicago, New York, LA, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle: every large city run by Dem-Socialists has profound and terrible problems. I hope Tallahassee doesn’t go downhill that way, but we were certainly on the slide with Gillum and the Usual Suspects downtown running the city. Hope our “new” city government does better, but that remains to be seen. Scooters and no plastic straws are not strong policy priorities of great cities. Try new priorities for a start: Attracting new private-sector companies and manufacturing to move here or build facilities, and work on reducing our infamous violent crime-murder rate.
Can’t take credit for this but saw the comment on a news story yesterday. Too good not to share:
“Do you, a loved one, or a friend suffer from leftism and-or liberalism? We can help. Call 1-800 LIBNOMO. Your call is free and it may change your life.”
I don’t think the mayor making TV commercials (mis)using his official title of Mayor and putting unqualified people in positions over our children is doing better.
Why go UP on Property Tax, there are MANY Subdivisions being built where the Homes START AT $249,900 and UP.
Because as long as illiberals run this town, there will NEVER be enough taxes collected.
Next question?
The Foundation receives a matching grant from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations each year. The foundation ‘s board of directors, comprised of business men and women, must raise the match each year. Over $130,000 is earned each year from this funding effort alone this, along with the many other events, grants, and donation ls the Foundation receives more than pays for the Director’s salary and benefits. The School Board and Foundation board should be proud of these efforts but also demand more.
The Foundation does not pay the Directors salary and benefits. The School Board pays it from tax payer revenues. Also, the Board provides housing and other expenses. If you want a true picture of the Foundation tell the Board to provide a twenty year history of the revenues and total expenditures including how much the School Board has contributed.
Excellent!
This is not an accounting of the foundation and has no credibility, but nice try. You fool no one but yourself.
More money added the Leon County Schools budget so that Rocky Hanna can direct construction contracts to his longtime buddy Casey Weldon. By the way who is over construction? Rocky Hanna is. So Rocky with no knowledge of any wrongdoing sent a notebook on construction issues to the FBI, now Rocky is Superintendent, now Rocky proclaiming himself to be over construction. Rocky directs who gets contracts. School board oversight…nope!
Will the increase in taxes be used to offset the cost of current litigation because Rocky Hanna refuses to follow the Fair Labor Standard when acting as a dictator he enacted an educational hit-list causing disruption to many lives? Will any of the increase be diverted for Rocky to give out raises to his inner circle? Rocky was already forced to payout $100,000 to the former Superintendent for his vindictive non compliance with Fair Labor laws.
How many more Assistant Superintendents will Rocky hire at $100,000 each without an interview?
Nick Maddox does not meet the qualifications for the Boys & Girls Club job according to the Boys & Girls Clubs own job specifications criteria.
In addition he does not have any volunteer experience, or any positive track record in administrative duties. In fact, he has a negative track record in his last two ventures in fundraising.
This is a crisis and if everyone is going to ignore it so be it.
But, I will not! THE children in our community are first and foremost and their safety health and wellbeing must be the first consideration. If Tallahassee wants to continue in this downward spiral then do nothing about this.
Please investigate this and expose who made the ridiculous decision that will put our children’s health safety and welfare in jeopardy.
Rocky Hanna had Nick Maddox appointed. Look no further than the author of the notebook designed to mislead state and federal authorities costing taxpayers $600,000. The school board was and remains silent. Hanna promotes people that hid his Failure To Acknowledge parental responsibility, he enacted a hit list dismissing employees without due process, he broke the Educators Code of Conduct, he put himself over construction contracts. Rocky Hanna hired Nick Maddox. Look closely, is Leon Schools a corrupt enterprise???
Then Rocky Hanna needs to reveal how much Nick Maddox raised for the foundation.
Was Nick Maddox being fired from the foundation for not meeting goals?
If Rocky Hanna is responsible for putting Nick Maddox in the position at the foundation and the position at the Boys & Girls Club then something is amiss.
Nick Maddox has no experience in fundraising and even was conducting himself as though he did when his prior experience was nothing but a farce and a fraud.
If Rocky Hanna is responsible for putting Nick Maddox in the Boys & Girls Club then shame on him! Nick Maddox has no experience, training, or education in childhood education.
Thank you, Mark.
Amen….see my letter to editor sent to Tallahassee Democrat and Tallahassee Reports. There is something smelly on Leon Co. School Board.
The School Board pays the salary and expenses of the Foundation from their taxpayer funded budget. Over the history of the Foundation the taxpayers have put more money into this than the Foundation has raised. The past five Supt knew this and did nothing to correct it. School Board show us a 20 year history of the Foundation revenues and expenditures and prove me wrong.
Excellent information!
Did Nick Maddox meet his goals at the foundation, underperform, or over perform?
Gabordi refused to expose Nick Maddox’s scam as a fundraiser during his election.
He was touting that he was the head of a Seminole Booster fundraising venture that was actually defunct and had raised $0.
Nick Maddox has no education in childhood education so he was not able to meet the Boys & Girls Clubs hiring requirements yet was hired anyway.
What is his credit rating as he will be dealing with Boys & Girls Club funds? How is it that a player who spent three years in the NFL does not own property in Leon County?
Maddox was oblivious to corruption right before his eyes as he sat on the board of the CRA as the chair yet corruption went over his head. He was complacent over the problems at the dispatch agency.
I have not seen any gains in Crime Control, the crime rate, and gains in the youth educational areas. Maddox does not create any synergy or energy.
This position was given to Maddox to simply supplement his income as a county commissioner. So now in two areas that need strengths in leadership, we have two areas that will have bad leadership.
Just one more way to bring Tallahassee down. If I had a child in Boys and Girls Club I would take them out immediately and put them in a faith-based area for supervision.
*amount of money Nick Maddox was able to raise
Still waiting for Tallahassee Reports and the Tallahassee Democrat to investigate and report on the amount of money Nick Maddox was able to race for the Foundation of Leon County Schools.
Also, whoever made the decision to hire Nick Maddox as director of the Boys & Girls Club is misguided and disturbing. I would not want my child in his care as he does not have the experience, education, or track record to be in this position.
He is in a leadership position for Leon County and Leon County has spiraled downward under his watch. Also, Nick Maddox is involved with the CRA and look where we are on that. This appointment to the Boys & Girls Club is again disturbing and there should be a public outcry over this as our children should come first and be under the direction of a competent leader with a proven track record.
Again, how much did Nick Maddox raise for Leon County Schools Foundation in his position there?
He’s got a degree, doesn’t he?
Not in the areas needed for this job. Also, appointing a county commissioner is inappropriate at the expense of our children’s safety.
Buried in the budget – the legal fee expenditure will increase from $340K (2018-2019) to $750K (2019-2020). It would be interesting to know what the actual 2018-2019 number was and if it necessitated the increase.