JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Language in the recently passed property tax referendum to fund pay raises for teachers has caused confusion for some Duval County residents.
Many people are asking when Duval County teachers will see their pay increase or when taxpayers will begin to see the bill.
Is it the same across the board or does it vary depending on income?
According to School Board of Duval County Resolution 2022-2, “The additional millage shall begin on July 1, 2023, and shall expire on June 30, 2027, as authorized by Section 1011.71(9), Florida Statutes, unless renewed by the electorate.”
Duval County Property Appraiser Jerry Holland spoke to First Coast News about the timeline of when Duval teachers will see the benefits of the referendum.
One issue comes from the fact that the School Board of Duval County Resolution 2022-2 lists the additional millage as starting on July 1, 2023, because that’s when the district's school year’s budget officially begins.
However, according to Duval County and federal tax rules, millage adjustments and increases/decreases take effect on Jan. 1.
The Duval County Tax Collector also already issued tax millage changes, expected to take effect Aug. 9, 2022.
Adjusting that now is legally challenging. So the City of Jacksonville’s general counsel and DCPS lawyers have to work out a solution.
Duval County Public Schools would also have to pay for the changes and re-issuing costs of the new millage change.
The actual tax referendum that was just voted on did not list a millage rate change date, this was only listed in the Resolution by the school board so that part could be easily changed.
While this is where DCPS can make a change to its plans, it will most likely impact Duval teachers’ promised pay increases.
Raises could possibly be delayed until the next school year, July 2024 - 2025.
These concessions, delays and changes will be cleared and confirmed by DCPS once they have worked out a deal with the city’s general counsel.
The deadline to approve all this is Sept. 9, 2022 because that is when DCPS has to turn in its budget for the next school year.
