PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Pasco County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to renew a property tax that generates millions of dollars each year to help pay teachers and other school employees.
Supporters say the money has helped the district attract and retain teachers, while opponents question whether homeowners should continue paying an additional tax to fund employee salaries.
Four years ago, voters approved the tax to help Pasco County schools compete with neighboring districts.
Kimberly Anderson spent more than 30 years working in the Pasco County school district, most of that time as an administrator. She remembers how difficult it was for schools to recruit teachers, especially when neighboring districts offered better pay.
“If they could go to a school that was closer in Hillsborough County or Polk or Pinellas, whatever was closer, they would do that rather than drive to come to a school that didn’t even pay them as much.”
Anderson and retired teacher Cathy Peckett are part of People for Pasco, a group supporting the renewal of the tax voters first approved in 2022.
The money supplements salaries for teachers and other school employees. Supporters say continuing that funding is essential to maintaining the progress the district has made over the past four years.
“I know that this referendum is critical so that we can continue the quality education we have in Pasco County," said Peckett.
The referendum calls for continuing a property tax of approximately $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
For example, a homeowner whose property has a taxable value of $300,000 pays approximately $300 a year, or $25 a month.
That amount is based on taxable value, which can be lower than a home's market value because of exemptions.
The tax is already being collected from Pasco County property owners. The November referendum would determine whether it continues for another four years.
Pasco County Schools Superintendent John Legg says the tax generates approximately $60 million annually.
He warns that without the funding, eligible school employees could see their pay reduced by about 12%.
“We’ve seen a 99% occupancy in terms of teachers finding jobs here in Pasco County. Without that number could go down and it would be really concerning.”
Not everyone agrees that continuing the property tax is the best way to pay school employees.
Pasco County parent Rebecca Yuengling questions why the district cannot find the money within its existing $2.3 billion budget rather than continuing to rely on the additional property tax.
“Why are we asking the tax payers for more money when they don’t want to cut through the pork in the general fund?”
The district's overall budget includes funding designated for specific purposes, meaning not all of that money can be redirected toward employee salaries.
For homeowners already dealing with rising expenses, she says the additional cost is another concern.
“Our priority should absolutely be paying the teachers. That’s a given. But I think the teachers unfortunately have come last in the district," Yuengling said.
The proposed renewal would continue providing additional money for school employee salaries while also allowing 5% of the revenue to go toward school safety.
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