If Manatee County pays for more school security, taxes may go up

Concerned that Manatee County will lose $9.5 million in revenue if a homestead exemption increase on the November ballot passes, County Administrator Ed Hunzeker is predicting the county may not be able to afford helping pay for additional security at public schools.

As a result, Hunzeker has advised commissioners that chairwoman Priscilla Whisenant Trace should send a letter to school board chair Scott Hopes indicating that the county will not contribute its 50/50 share of the more than $7.5 million projected cost for 34 more law enforcement officers in Manatee schools during fiscal year 2019.

If the county did contribute the more than $3.75 million requested, Hunzeker said he believes the unincorporated municipal services taxing unit would have to be increased by an estimated 1.4 mils. Commissioner Carol Whitmore said raising that tax hasn't happened since 2009.

Down the line, county leaders weren't sure if the state would require even more deputies to be placed at schools, raising the potential cost.

County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said it's up to the school district to figure out how to pay for additional security on campuses — even if up to now the county and the school district have shared the cost.

"There is no reason in the world they cannot correct their budget," Baugh said. "That is their job."

After nearly an hour discussion during a commission meeting Tuesday, commissioners voted 5-2 to table a decision until May 8 to allow for more time for the school district to gather information. Commissioners Stephen Jonsson and Baugh voted against the motion.

"I don't mean to sound hard-hearted," Hunzeker said at the end of the meeting. "It's a straight business deal."

After the Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, state legislators passed a bill that allocated $100 million to direct school districts to place at least one law enforcement officer at each school. The School District of Manatee County received about $2.6 million but was still short $1.4 million on its 50/50 share, a deficit other districts are facing as well.

Earlier in the meeting, while giving his end of legislative session report, state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said the bill is "a work in progress and we continue to learn from it."

The district and county have worked together on funding school security for more than a decade, school board member Dave Miner said at a workshop meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

"I think everybody in this room, everybody in the community, believes that the county commission, for county property, has a duty to provide a safe place for all of us, and certainly for the students and teachers, and our staff and our schools," he said.

Miner said it remained unclear whether Hunzeker's proposal was to not fund the new costs, or to stop funding school security all together. The discussed numbers represent both current costs and the additional costs of paying for new deputies, leading Miner to interpret Hunzeker's proposal as a halt to all funding.

Miner said the district could possibly share some of its security money from the state if the commission would uphold its 50/50 share.

"That wasn't really discussed this morning, but I think that may evolve into kind of a compromise and still lead to a good relationship with out partners," he said.

The state mandate allows districts to utilize certified officers who are employed by a law enforcement agency, certified officers employed by the district school board or "school guardians." Guardians are certain school employees who volunteer for the position and hold a valid license to carry a concealed firearm. They are not allowed to make arrests, and they must go through training related to firearm proficiency and diversity.

Board member Charlie Kennedy said the district has no interest in arming school employees, nor does it want to hire officers and form its own police force. He hopes money from the Guardian Program, which was funded with $67 million, will be redistributed to the many districts that chose a different route.

Kennedy said the district and the county are making no progress by comparing bank accounts, and that each should work to continue their partnership.

"I am of the opinion that if the county commission doesn't want to take on the 50 percent of the extra officers, I think we as a district can figure that out," Kennedy said.

Hopes said that while the district may one day see money from the Guardian Program, it is ultimately responsible for educating students, and the county is responsible for protecting those students.

He said the county could develop its own program for school resource officers. The high cost of protecting schools, Hopes said, is the result of using full-time deputies who continue working outside of the school year.

"I mean, there may be some ... officers who are ready to retire from the regular workforce, who could go into a 180-day service force that would be less costly," Hopes said. "I don't think everyone is thinking this anew."

Some commissioners, speaking during Tuesday morning's meeting, said Hunzeker's recommendation might send the message that protecting citizens was not important. Within the county's budget, the priority is set on public safety and represents the largest funding allocation.

However, as noted in county spokesman Nick Azzara's email on Monday, commissioners feel the district is in a better position to handle the burden.

Commissioners are frustrated "that the District will benefit from the voter-approved millage increase but schools won't be subject to the new homestead exemption," Azzara wrote.

Regardless of how the new officers are paid for, more improvements are needed to protect district schools, board member John Colon said at Tuesday's workshop. He suggested placing metal detectors at a single entrance where people will enter and leave at each school.

The board took a step toward added security at its regular meeting on Tuesday evening. It approved an additional $750,000 on top of an existing $150,000 bid for access control devices, which help control who enters and leaves a building. The money will be spent as needed, and the full amount may not be used.

"Let's be honest, some of our campuses are built on 90 acres," Colon said. "I don't care if you have 10 officers; they can't cover 90 acres."

This story was originally published April 24, 2018 at 4:38 PM with the headline "If Manatee County pays for more school security, taxes may go up."