LARGO -- Pinellas School Board members vote unanimously in favor of putting a property tax increase on the ballot.
The local-option property tax of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value has been around in Pinellas since 2004 but Superintendent Kevin Hendrick says they need to double it to stay competitive. "We are the only Tampa Bay county without a sales tax and do not have impact fees to support our schools either," Hendrick told the board. Most other surrounding counties have the one-mill option and Hillsborough voters will consider it this fall.
Hendrick says this time the money would go to raises for teachers and support staff, including school bus drivers.
The Pinellas County Commission officially place the tax before the voters but that is considered to be a formality.
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