Comments on: Escambia School Board Divided On Potential Property Tax Increase

By: Dwight

Dwight — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 22:54:44 +0000

Why must the property owners always bear the tax burden. Do away with the property tact and increase the sales tax and vechicle tax so everyone will share the tax burden along with the out of staters and tourist who come to Florida pay for the cost.

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 14:22:42 +0000

@Mike. Socio-economic factors have a huge impact on individual schools. The teachers are only part of educating kids. They can pick up a lot of slack, but are NO replacement for parenting and basic resources. What happens in the years BEFORE children start school is critical. Sadly, for some families, the most important function of school is feeding their children.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 20:04:31 +0000

The schools should get a fixed percentage (millage). If home values go up, they get more money. If home values go down, they get less money. If the schools provided a valuable product, people would be pleased to provide an increase, but to demand an increase even though you provide a poor service is criminal and shameful. Maybe a performance based system would be tolerated where providing wonderful schools would result in a windfall. At the same time, if you provide awful schools, you owe us money back! It is high time for voucher systems where I choose where to send my child to school. I shouldn’t be required to pay for my child’s good education while also paying you to provide a poor one. If the school system really believed they provided a good product, they would be the most vocal for the system of choice.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 21:26:21 +0000

It’s pretty simple; government NEVER has enough money.

The voters were sold on the idea of a state lottery because it would add millions to education. Years later that’s not enough.

The voters were sold on the idea of Local Option Sales Tax (how about the irony of that acronym for government spending?) and again, not enough.

There’s so much duplication in the “education system” and nobody seems to want to eliminate that. Regardless of whether it’s at the local, state or federal level.

I appreciate the people working hard to do the right things and, on this; thanks Mr. Slayton for wanting to hold the line.

We have a generally good community and our schools, though not perfect, are pretty good. We have a lot of good teachers and staff who work through some very difficult challenges. Thanks to all who do. But Board Members and Superintendent; please rise up, weed out wasteful spending and duplication of responsibilities; make the well-paid administrators earn that pay like the rest of us.

By: Swampfox

Swampfox — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:08:11 +0000

Seems with the POOR school grades reported not long ago they’d consentrate on that rather than jumping on higher taxes!

By: Claudia Litchfield

Claudia Litchfield — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 16:10:29 +0000

Dr. Elder – make a stand for what you believe is right. It’s not funny to abstain from a vote on this issue because it’s a tough choice. I may not agree with an increase in the property tax like Mrs. Hightower suggested but at least she is standing for something.

I have school age kids and don’t send them to public school because of the horrible standards the local schools have. I don’t want to send more money to a system that doesn’t seem to be getting better, instead standards just go lower each year. The schools need to work within their budget just like all the residents have to. Priorities and be efficient!

By: SueB

SueB — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 14:26:04 +0000

This is the problem” district needs the revenue after overspending by $3 million last year”. We as taxpayers constantly pay. What about Alabama residents sending their children to Florida schools? Never see this in the budget as income? Free meals – it’s parents responsibility not taxpayers that have no children or grand children going to school. What if all taxpayers stick together and refuse to pay the 1.5 mils rate?

By: concerned

concerned — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 13:01:00 +0000

as my parents would say there is a need and there is a want ? so my question is do we need it or just want it.? I grew up in pensacola where dirt roads were every where just as mom and pop stores the area was almost care free we played and had fun. now chain stores have put mom and pop stores to closing we were warned . take a look around us ( really ) tax this and tax that it is plum crazy . so many things money is being spent on that we don’t need. hurricanes are comming stop the spending at all cost cut the budget in every dept. and work harder 7am to 7pm until the job is done.

By: StraightShooter

StraightShooter — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 11:40:07 +0000

Roll the milage back and live within your means like the rest of us. We don’t get to raise our paycheck.
Bill Slayton is the only one I get to vote on, but I will remember his vote next election.

By: Terry 104

Terry 104 — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:25:17 +0000

To the School Board, deal with the 9.1% inflationary increase without increasing taxes. I have to deal with it on a daily basis with no increase of my income, so should the School Board.