School budget a 'fund shift,' Pickens says

When the new state budget landed on legislators' desks Monday, Democrats quickly discovered a $365-million increase in property taxes statewide for schools next year -- despite what they recalled was a commitment by House GOP leaders not to increase those taxes.

"It's a shell game. It's a sleight-of-hand," said Rep. Dan Gelber, the House Democratic leader. "It's a bit of a swap."

Indeed, a closer look at the school funding formula shows a decline in two other discretionary school taxes by an amount that is actually $11-million more than the property tax increase. So Republicans insist they have kept their promise not to increase taxes.

"He's wrong," said Rep. Joe Pickens, the Palatka Republican and the House's education spending expert. "It's a fund shift. It was done without sleight-of-hand. It was done right in front of everybody." The tax shift was vetted with representatives of "about 20" school districts, he said.

The tax shift is sure to be vigorously debated Wednesday when House members engage in the traditional partisan debate over the budget. As part of the swap, school districts are limited to 1.75-mills ($1.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) for construction projects. Pinellas levies 1.85-mills for that purpose, so the tax shift in the budget is of no benefit.

Comments

[Omega83]

"It's a fund shift."

Notice he did not say it was NOT a tax increase.

Parsing words there, Slim. Be careful, or Grover Norquist might come calling.

LIESLLIESLIESLISLIESLIESLIESLIESLIES!!!

A REPIGLICAN SAIND IT!!

LIESLIESLIESLIESLIESLIESLIESLIESLIES!!!

STILL HAVENT HAD ENOUGH YET!!

DAMNED IDIOTS!!!!!!

[Ima Fedup]

Yep, they are shifting thier hand from my right pocket to my left pocket.

It's time to eliminate all school funding from property taxes. Let the state fund it like most states in our nation.

Luckily, we get a chance in November ballot

[Donald Lance]

Tax Swap does not equal tax reduction!
I've said it time and time again. If it doesn't lower existing taxes, it's not a tax reduction. "Shell game" is an appropriate depiction of what is occurring. It's time for you ALL to bang the phones of your Rep and inform them that what you want is relief - not shifts!

"$365-million increase in property taxes statewide for schools next year"

So they give us back $240 in order to RAISE OUR TAXES EVEN MORE!!

They "FIXED" property taxes twice before and they went UP and now they are going UP again!

They "FIXED" property insurance and it went UP!!!!

They "FIXED" PIP and it went UP!!!!!!

They've "fixed" CSX and it gets $700 million of OUR MONEY.

They've "FIXED" Rubio's friend and he gets $265 million of OUR MONEY!!!

They've "FIXED" a toll road and a couple of members will be getting MILLIONS OF OUR MONEY!!!

Rubio has his FIX in and his PORK is going to cost us MILLIONS.

They don't give a darn who they kill, who dies because of their greed as long as THEY GET OUR MONEY!!!

The Governor should VETO THE BUDGET and make them DO IT RIGHT!!!

And NEXT NOVMEBER VOTE THESE THEIVES OUT OF OFFICE - KICK OUT THE REPIGLICANS!!!!!!!!!

Uh, the perty gov can veto the budget but remember that he's the one that submitted the inital budget... He's as useless and stupid as the rest of them...

What is the status of the bill delaying TRIM notices being sent until after November?

Who cares. We all know the Legislature is run by a bunch of crooks... There is no way we aren't going to get screwed!!

Get the Repiglicans outta here!

Dear blogger,

Question: If certain districts do not currently charge the full 2 mill, is this policy a tax increase in those counties? Answer: Yes.

Question: which counties do not currently charge the full 2 mills?

One of them is Orange County, so please make sure that Sen. Webster and Rep. Dean Cannon know that they have raised taxes in their district by .25 mill. This is about a 4% increase in the school tax RATE for that county which is on top of any property value increases. Thank you Republican leadership for limited property taxes.

Its a good thing that some of these Republicans are term limited out of office so that they do not have to face up to this budget at the ballot box.

The only good news is that when the budget is fully understood by the citizens that both Rubio and Pruitt can write off any dreams of future political careers. Good bye!