>> WE DID HAVE TO CUT BACK IN OTHER AREAS AND THOSE AREAS QUITE CANDIDLY WOULD PROBABLY BE
SOME OF THE STUDENT ACTIVITIES
THAT WE DO RIGHT NOW.
>> PUTTING GAS IN OUR CARS, FOOD
ON OUR TABLE FOR OUR OWN
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
>> THE BROWARD SCHOOL DISTRICT
IS IN CAMPAIGN MODE THIS WEEK
HOPING TO CONVINCE VOTERS THAT A
RELATIVELY SMALL BUMP IN
PROPERTY TAXES IS WORTH FUNDING
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL SECURITY.
LAST APRIL BROWARD SCHOOL BOARD
VOTED TO TAKE IT TO THE VOTERS
NEXT MONTH.
>> THE SCHOOL BOARD WANTS TO
HIKE THE MILLAGE RATE IN BROWARD
FROM 50 DOLLARS PER 100,000 OF
ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUE TO 100
PER 100,000, THAT WOULD BRING IN
ABOUT 222 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR
FOR THE BROWARD SCHOOL DISTRICT,
MONEY THEY SAY THEY NEED TO
RECRUIT, RETAIN TEACHERS, ADD
SCHOOL SAFETY OFFICERS, PROVIDE
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
>> LEADING THE CHARGE FOR THAT
TAX HIKE IS THE BROWARD SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT DR. VICI
CARTWRIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW WITH
US VIA ZOOM LIVE.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US AGAIN,
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME ON YOUR SHOW TODAY.
>> SO LET’S BEGIN WITH THE MOST
BASIC QUESTION WE SORT OF WENT
THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU ARE
ASKING FOR, BUT WHAT IS YOUR
ARGUMENT TO BROWARD TAXPAYERS
WHY THEY SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS
PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX HIKE?
>> SO I THINK IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT THAT I’M SHARES
INFORMATION RELATED TO WHAT WE
ARE ASKING, NOT TRYING TO
CONVINCE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BUT
TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
INFORMED.
>> YOU ARE PROHIBITED FROM LAW
BY ADVOCATING BUT NOT BY MAKING
A FACTUAL PRESENTATION SO PLEASE
GO AHEAD.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I
APPRECIATE THAT.
SO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO AT
THIS POINT IN TIME IS RENEW OUR
SECURE THE NEXT GENERATION
REFERENDUM.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A
REFERENDUM AND IT IS SET TO
EXPIRE NEXT SUMMER AND THAT
REFERENDUM CURRENTLY PROVIDES IS
UP ELEMENTS FOR OUR TEACHERS OR
SCHOOL BASED PEOPLE T ALSO
PROVIDES FOR OUR SECURITY
PERSONNEL AND ALSO PROVIDES FOR
MENTAL HEALTH.
IF THAT DOES NOT GET RENEWED,
THEN AT THAT POINT IN TIME ALL
OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FOR
THAT WOULD GO AWAY.
SO WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IS
FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
IT FOR?
SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE AS WELL IS
THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE SINCE
LAST TIME WE WENT OUT FOR
REFERENDUM VERSUS THIS TIME IT
SAY LEGISLATIVE CHANGE AND IT
NOW REQUIRES US TO SHARE THE
MONEY WITH OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS,
ALL OF OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS, SO
EVEN IF WE WENT JUST FOR A
RENEWAL OF A HALF MILLION WE
WOULD ACTUALLY BE GENERATING
LESS MONEY AT THAT POINT THIS
TIME.
SO GOING OUT FOR A FULL MEAL
ACTUALLY PUTS IT TO A MUCH
BETTER POSITION TO BE A MARKET
COMPETITIVE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW
PALM BEACH DOES HAVE A FULL MILL
AND MIAMI DADE HAS THREE
QUARTERS OF A MILL HOWEVER THEY
ARE GOING TO GO TO THEIR VOTERS
AND ASKING FOR A FULL MILL AS
WELL.
SO IN THAT SENSE WHAT THIS IS WE
ARE LOOKING TO USE THE FULL
MILL, 75% OF IT OR MORE, WOULD
GO TOWARDS SUPPLEMENTS AND
SIPHONS FOR THE CLASSROOM BASED
INDIVIDUALS, PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT
AT OUR SCHOOLS EVERY DAY, SO
THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR
CAFETERIA WORKERS, BUS DRIVERS,
PARAPROFESSIONALS T CAN BE OUR
TEACHERS, AND IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT WHEN WE’RE TAKING A
LOOK AT THAT SUPPLEMENT BECAUSE
IT DOES ALLOW FOR THEM TO HAVE A
LIVABLE WAGE.
WE WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO LIVE
HERE IN BROWARD COUNTY AS WELL
AS WORK HERE IN BROWARD COUNTY.
AND BEING THE LARGEST EMPLOYER
IN BROWARD COUNTY DOES MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU
WILL HAVE UP TO 8% THAT IS GOING
TO BE FOR SCHOOL SAFETY
PERSONNEL, SO THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE PROVIDING THAT SAFE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF OUR
SCHOOL SITES AND THEN UP TO 17
PERCENT-- EXCUSE ME, APOLOGIZE,
UP TO 17 PERCENT FOR OUR SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS AND SAFETY
STAFF, CLARIFICATION THERE, AND
THE 8% FOR CENTRAL PROGRAMS.
>> I KNOW PROBABLY IT WOULD BE
VERY HELPFUL FOR VIEWERS TO KNOW
THEY CAN GO ON THE BROWARD
SCHOOL DISTRIRKT WEBSITE AND SEE
ALL THE NITTY GRITTY
PERCENTAGES.
BUT I THINK CONCEPT ALLLY IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
THAT STATE LAW AND STATE LAW
ALMOST EVERY SESSION FOR THE
LAST FEW YEARS MANDATES SCHOOL
SECURITY.
AND ALLOCATES SOME FUNDING FOR T
BUT PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH, SO
PARTIALLY AN UNFUNDED MANDATE
ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER SCHOOL
DISTRICTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
BUT WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING
TO HEAR YOU SAY IS THAT YOU
ARE-- THREATENING CUTBACKS ON
PROGRAMS AND POSSIBLE STUDENT
ACTIVITIES IF THIS DOES NOT GO
THROUGH.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO SORT
OF FRAME HOW POSSIBLE AND WHAT
THE POTENTIAL IS FOR THAT.
>> SO WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS
WE CURRENTLY GENERATE
APPROXIMATELY 21 MILLION DOLLARS
WITH OUR CURRENT REFERENDUM THAT
GOES TOWARDS OUR SCHOOL SAFETY
RESOURCES.
AND ABOUT 9 MILLION DOLLARS THAT
GOES TOWARDS OUR MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES.
AND YOU WERE CORRECT,
LEGISLATIVELY WE ARE GRATEFUL TO
OUR GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATORS FOR
THE STATE SCHOOL ALLOCATIONS,
HOWEVER WE EVERY YEAR WE’RE
GOING INTO OUR GENERAL BUDGET IN
ORDER TO ENSURE WE HAVE THAT
SAFE SCHOOL OFFICER AT EVERY
SCHOOL SITE.
SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS
THAT IS ABOUT 30 MILLION RIGHT
THERE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND
FUNDING IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, THE
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND THE
SAFETY SCHOOL OFFICERS, SO WHEN
WE’RE GOING THAT, 30 MILLION WE
ALREADY HAVE A VERY TIGHT BUDGET
AS IT IS RIGHT NOW SO IT WOULD
REQUIRE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO
SOME CUTS AND WE WOULD HAVE TO
BE SOMEWHERE IN THE BUDGET THAT
CURRENTLY EXISTS.
>> BECAUSE WE JUST SIMPLY CAN’T
ROLL BACK ON HAVING SCHOOL
SAFETY PERSONNEL OUT OF OUR
SITES.
SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING BACKWARDS
AND ROLLING THESE THICK BACKYARD
OUT WHERE DO YOU FIND THE PO
MILLION OUT, YES, WE WOULD HAVE
TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING ON THE
TABLE TO BE HONEST.
WE WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT
PROGRAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE WOULD ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT, WE
KNOW WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT
PROGRAMS, IF YOU DON’T HAVE
CERTAIN PROGRAMS WITHIN YOUR
SCHOOL, THEN THAT IS ALSO
MEANING THAT THERE IS GOING TO
BE PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE A JOB
AS WELL.
SO EVERY THING IS ON THE TABLE
IF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE 82
MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE
CURRENTLY AGAIN RA-- GENERATE
FOR OUR SUPPLEMENT FORCE ALL OF
OUR SCHOOL-BASED INDIVIDUALS,
THAT WOULD GO AWAY AS WELL AND
NOW SOME OF OUR BEST AND
BRIGHTEST COULD GO TO EITHER
DISTRICT ON EITHER SIDE OF US
AND GET A MUCH BETTER PAY.
>> IT IS A COMPETITIVE
ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHERS, FOR
GOOD STAFF PEOPLE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND A GOOD
EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE.
IT COSTS A GOOD DEAL OF MONEY
BUT ON THE SUBJECT OF MUP,
DR. CART WRIGHT, I DON’T NEED TO
TELL YOU, INFLATION IN SOUTH
FLORIDA IS ABOUT 10%.
THE COST OF FOOD HAS
SKYROCKETED, RENTS ARE UP,
MORTGAGES ARE CLOSE TO 6
PERCENT, YOU KNOW, FIVE PERCENT
FOR A 30 YEAR, FIXED RATE
MORTGAGE.
EVERYTHING IS COSTING MORE AND
YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE IN BROWARD
COUNTY WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES
AND THEY ARE SAYING GEE, I
BELIEVE IN SCHOOLS BUT I DON’T
HAVE ANOTHER 25 DOLLARS, 26
DOLLARS PER MONTH WHICH I THINK
WOULD BE ABOUT THE AVERAGE
WOULDN’T IT, THAT THE TAXES
WOULD GO UP?
>> SO WHEN WE’RE TAKING A LOOK
AT THIS, THE AVERAGE RATE AND
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP,
IT IS AN ADDITIONAL $13 MORE PER
MONTH IS WHAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT OVER WHAT THEY ALREADY
RAILROAD CURRENTLY PAYING FOR
THE EAMPLEG VALUE 4,78,000.
SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT.
IS ABOUT 18 MORE.
AND FOR A CONDO, FOR AN AVERAGE
CONDO MARKET VALUE OF AROUND
224,000 APPROXIMATELY, THEN
WE’RE TALKING THAT IT WOULD BE
$7.50 MORE PER MONTH.
THAT IS WHAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT.
AND WE DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN
THAT EVERYTHING IS MORE
EXPENSIVE AND QUITE FRANKLY
AGAIN THAT IS WHY THIS IS SO
IMPORTANT.
IS BECAUSE OF THOSE FOR ALL OF
OUR ELIGIBLE STAFF AND OUT AT
OUR SCHOOL SITES, BECAUSE IT’S
MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THEM AS WELL.
>> DR. VICI CARTWRIGHT, WE
APPRECIATE ALL THAT INFORMATION
AND YOU JOINING US TODAY.
WE’LL CERTAINLY BE WATCHING WHAT
HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
>> THANKS SO MUCH.
AND IF I MAY, PLEASE DON’T
FORGET WHEN PEOPLE DO GO AND
VOTE ON AUGUST 23rd, PLEASE