During Monday’s Leon County School Board (LCSB) agenda review, Steve Vancore, with Clearview Research, told officials that a poll commissioned by the Leon County Teachers Association indicated that 76% of Leon County voters would support an increase in property taxes to fund expenses such as teacher salaries and school safety.
The current LCSB millage rate is 5.366 mills. This rate resulted in $156.5 million in 2024-25 tax revenue. A 0.5 mill increase in the property tax would raise an additional $13 million.
The poll also showed that 76% of voters would support an extension of the 1/2 penny sales tax which funds capital projects for the district. The 1/2 penny sales tax raises approximately $31 million. The current 1/2 penny sales tax expires in 2027.
Vancore, who has completed similar polling projects across Florida, told the Board that he has “never seen” this strong of support for tax increases.
The discussion among officials indicated that the Board is considering addressing the 1/2 penny sales tax and a millage rate increase in 2026.
The talk about tax increases comes after Superintendent Hanna discussed budget shortfalls due to the loss of federal and state funds for the 2025-26 school year.
Breaking News: Leon County Voters Overwhelmingly Support Property Tax Increase for Schools added by Staff on
View all posts by Staff →
Here’s how it works, folks…
LCS: We’re losing students and revenue as a result of our institutional failures and wasteful spending.
Pollster: Well, I can do a poll to see if taxpayers are willing to pony up some more dough to support your wasteful spending and institutional failures.
LCS: Ok, here’s $250K to do the poll. We sure hope it comes out in our favor. (insert wink here)
Pollster: Don’t worry, for $250K, I’ll make it work.
LCS: Thanks
Steve keeps giving us these polls and stats that say the exact opposite of what we all know to be true.
Everyone I know owns property and not one of them is for raising their property taxes for a school system that cannot get half its students to read at their own grade level.
Enough with the bs, I don’t believe it. Rocky Hannah is not capable. Steve Vancor is a well-known political hack, if he tells you the sky is blue…don’t believe it.
Amazing! Polling results that supports the people that commissioned the poll. I’m calling B.S. on that!
Since we are talking about property taxes, put fire services back back on property taxes and show the real millage rate. Commercial property is near 20%!
Another Children’s Service Council scam. They need to learn to budget, just like normal people. I’d be interested in seeing a REAL poll. Rest assured, the results would be different…
I’d love to see the methodology. An LCTA poll shows overwhelming support for teacher pay raises? Who’d they poll? Teachers/members?
I’d suggest they look at bloated administrative staff run by their puppet Rocky, but that will never happen.
Teacher’s unions are what is wrong with education and a curse on our society