Mark
What would the average increase cost local Taxpayers if it was made up here? I know, people don't want to see taxes increased, but you have to ask yourself. Second, so Crist vetoed the Legistlators cuts in education but is still looking for tax cuts next year. Where do we think its going to come from?
To answer the first question---If we could raise the millage in the capital outlay by a quarter mill, that should equal 3.5 million dollars. We would then have to get the voters to approve the transfer of that quarter mill to the operations budget similar to what we did 6 years ago with the half mill. The new total transfer would be .75 mills. However, we could not, at the same time lower the local millage on the capital side to keep the millage the "same" like we promised and did during the last referendum. In other words, we could ask for a quarter mill increase in the capital budget and ask the voters to transfer it to operations by referendum. That would be a tax increase.
Can't answer the second quesstion. But, I can tell you this. The state will require a fairly large increase in that portion fo the local millage for schools that the State controls, called the "required local effort." That you can bet on....
Thanks guys.