Manatee officials trying to prevent millage referendum for schools

At the Oct. 24 Manatee School Board meeting, it was disappointing to hear members John Colon and Scott Hopes, assisted by Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett, do their best to kill the chances of a successful millage referendum that is so badly needed by our schools. Colon and Hopes said they could support the referendum only as part of the Aug. 28 primary election. A special election on March 20 is a much better option.

1. There will be more voters present and available to vote on March 20 than Aug. 28.

2. The TRIM tax notices will hit mailboxes the day before the Aug. 28 primary, making a yes vote less likely according to research on school funding elections.

3. Colon, Hopes, and Charlie Kennedy will all be on the Aug. 28 primary ballot, mixing politics with the school funding issue and preventing a majority of the board from actively campaigning for the referendum.

4. School Board attorney Jim Dye expressed doubts about the legality of an Aug. 28 referendum.

5. Most importantly, even if the referendum passes on Aug. 28, that is far too late for the district to plan on the additional money to attract and retain teachers and staff for a school year that will already be underway by then.

The cost of a special election is a red herring issue. It represents less than one hour of instructional time in a typical school day. We have much more to gain by a successful election.

Colon and Hopes have an ethical obligation to support what the majority of the board has decided to do – go to the voters in March, just as Sarasota County Schools have done in their successful millage campaigns. If they can’t, they don’t belong on the Manatee School Board.

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Manatee officials trying to prevent millage referendum for schools."