Voters Will Decide Three County Ballot Questions For Schools, Parks & Libraries

Palm Beach County voters will see three local questions on the Nov. 3 ballot, in addition to three statewide amendments. One asks whether the School District of Palm Beach County may keep collecting a 1-mill property tax that voters last approved in 2018. If approved, the renewed levy would run from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. The district says this is not a new tax. According to the article, about half the money goes to teacher pay, a quarter supports more than 900 teachers in choice, career and arts programs, and the rest helps cover school police and student mental health services. A district communications official says that if voters decline, teachers would face an average pay cut of $8,000 a year and those 900-plus positions would be cut. The district also says an independent citizens committee monitors spending.

The other two questions concern bonds. One would let the county issue up to $280 million for parks, recreation facilities, sports complexes, beach access, trails, botanical gardens and new regional parks, repaid through countywide property taxes within 20 years. The other would allow up to $175 million in library bonds, voted on only by residents of the Library District. The library director says this would cover over half of the roughly $326 million Library Expansion Program III, including a new Main Library. Without it, he says, the program would take much longer.

Each question needs more than 50 percent approval. The article adds that statewide Amendment 3 would raise homestead exemptions; school taxes are excluded, but county officials warn of possible cuts elsewhere.