HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — The Hillsborough County Commission will appeal a judge's decision to place the school tax referendum back on the November ballot.
On Wednesday, the Commission voted 4-3 to file an expedited appeal to the court’s order to place the school district’s millage referendum on the ballot.
On Aug. 2, a court ordered the County Commission to put the School Board's millage referendum on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot.
"We are going to do everything we can to ensure the referendum is on the ballot in November of this year. We are disappointed the County Commission wants to continue this in the courts instead of following the judge’s very clear and strong order to put the referendum on the ballot now. Hillsborough County Public Schools continues to be the number one choice for families in our community. This millage would support more than 220,000 students who all deserve the best classroom experience possible," said Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Van Ayres.
In April, the school board voted to put a property tax increase on the November ballot. But in a surprise 4-3 vote last month, county commissioners decided instead to push the millage referendum to 2026, frustrating some school board members.
In their meeting Wednesday, the County Commission voted to file an appeal to the court's order last week. Commissioners voiced their opinions on both sides of the issue.
"I would say let the matter rest here. This vote belongs to the voters," said County Commissioner Pat Kemp.
"If I have a possibility of postponing this to a matter of a time when the economy is better, I need to exercise it for the people I serve," said County Commissioner Christine Miller.
According to the district, the millage would mostly fund increased pay for teachers, support staff, assistant principals, and principals to make Hillsborough County Public Schools competitive with surrounding counties. As it stands, the county is currently not up to par with others, making it harder to keep teachers and recruit staff.
"All of the counties around us have this millage, and they've had this millage for a while, so they've had a very uneven playing field where they've been able to pay their people more," said Ellen Lyons with the Hillsborough PTA.
The referendum would add one mill to property taxes in Hillsborough County, which would cost a typical homeowner about $281 per year, or 75 cents per day. The school district estimates the millage would raise about $177 million to support Hillsborough’s students each year.
William Haynes, a parent, showed up to Wednesday's meeting to share his opinion on the matter.
"This is something that voters should be able to decide on," said Haynes. "If someone's against the referendum or they're for it, either way, they should have the choice to say so at the ballot box."
County leaders were also reminded of the upcoming Aug. 20 printing deadline for the Nov. 5 ballot, making matters even more pressing.
Read the full court decision here:
Court Decision Hills School Board v Hillsborough County Commissioners by ABC Action News on Scribd
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