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Escambia Children’s Trust Makes Plans To Implement Property Tax, Appoints Leaders
April 29, 2021
The Escambia Children’s Trust planned their future course as the first meeting with a full 10 member board was held this week.
The trust has until July 1 to determine a millage rate up to .5 mill to be added to property tax bills in the county. But first, they must determine community needs and how to pay for solutions.
The trust will hold meetings on May 11, May 25, and June 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the chambers of the Escambia County Commission, with possible a fourth meeting to be scheduled. There will also be subcommittee meetings. Beginning in July, they will start meeting on the second Tuesday of each month.
Trust member Stephanie White was appointed board chair, and retired CPA Carolyn Appleyard was named interim administrator. Appleyard will not be paid.
This week’s meeting of the Escambia Children’s Trust was the first since Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed five people to complete the board.
Last November, voters approved the formation of the Children’s Trust to be funded by an increase in ad valorem taxes of up to a maximum of 0.5 mil that will cost the average Escambia County property owner $40 per year beginning in 2022. The tax is expected to generate $8 million or more each year, enabling the trust to provide early childhood education, safety, developmental, preventive, health, and well-being services, including after school and summer enrichment programs.
Five members were appointed to the board to fill positions as mandated by state law — Escambia County School Board member Patty Hightower, Department of Children and Families Northwest Region Managing Director Walter Sachs, Circuit Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz, Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May and Escambia County School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith.
Comments
28 Responses to “Escambia Children’s Trust Makes Plans To Implement Property Tax, Appoints Leaders”
Parent: Thank you so much for your comment…I agree 100%. If anyone has not read her input, please do. More sense and more credibility than I’ve heard anywhere. Couldn’t have been said better. Thanks again!
The first couple of sentences sum up this latest bs from government. They have until July 1 to “determine” the millage rate, up to 0.5, and then come up with problems to solve. I figure the rate won’t be the max so it looks like they actually thought about it rather than going for max. Another duplicate to other programs to re-solve the same “problems”.
I did not vote for this but I do love and care about children. BUT, Our tax dollars already go to EBT cards which I thought was for buying FOOD to feed their children. We are all being double taxed by buying breakfast / lunch for these children under the guise they do not get nothing to eat at home. Where are the mothers like in the past years who got up and fixed breakfast even if it was cereal or toast and milk and fixed a brown bag lunch for us to take for lunch?? These mom’s lay in bed and get up just enough time to get kids to bus stop or school doing nothing because they know their child will get something to eat at school I call it lazy and need to step up and be REAL parents and really did not need this if parents would step up and do their job
How about those who have children paying for their expenses instead of requiring others to do it. Novel idea until President Johnson started his give aways.
I am both a parent of a child in Escambia County, and an employee of the Escambia County School District for over 10 years now. I am also on the more liberal end of the political spectrum. No one in my family voted for this nonsense, myself included. So far, everything I have heard that this organization plans to do is already being done by some other organization. We have Children & Families, the school district, and numerous organizations working to help serve the needs of children from all types of families and socioeconomic backgrounds. I pay my property and sales taxes, income taxes, etc. And I understand that the point of those taxes are to support the community, including some services that I might not use myself. But this Childrens’ Trust nonsense is just PTA moms and attention seekers who don’t have enough to occupy their days, so they’ve created this group (with no clearly defined goals and practically no oversight) so they can pat themselves on the back and pretend that their duplication of services is good for the community. Pensacola needs so many things, but this was definitely not it.
“Perhaps everyone here should have had nasty people making these types of comments to childrens faces and telling them what you are posting..no kid is throwing money down a rat hole…to everyone on here that is so pima donna ..perhaps before you were born..your parents should have been told you are not worth it…..
Go to church and stand in front and tell all children that they are an imposition.
Go to the schools and tell them the same…cowards behind a keyboard..loathsomely type at that.
To those who do not have children…you dont deserve them or ever should have access to them. VILE
Nasty nasty people”
The School District already recieves a milage for taxes on Homeowners property tax. Why could this not be raised??? Because it would be easier to sell the Tax and spend idea to use “Children” as props…..Try again. This will not go away….ever….just like the ECAT bus/Gas tax that car owners are paying for. This is not the same as tithing….this is tithing at the point of a spear…..not willingly as God commanded. This is a “Woke idea”
I would bet a good number of you making these negative comments call yourself a Christian as well. Funny how that goes. Do you tithe or give offerings? What for? This is a petty amount of money that may just help the overall community. Open your minds a bit and learn more before stumping your feet and saying no immediately.
Are we going to be paying for children to be taught to hate our country??
Why should I have to pay to raise other peoples kids? I have none. I also don’t like paying for Schools busses etc. that aren’t used.
Remember the 4 cent per gallon gas tax that is being used to keep the bus running?the bus riders did not pay for it the people that drive cars and do not ride the bus pay for it, this for the children is the same scam, those who don,t pay get a free ride from those who pay.AS USUAL. ANOTHER WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY,
Kristy, PEOPLE THAT RENT WILL PAY THE SAME TAX AS HOME OWNERS. THE PEOPLE THAT OWN RENTAL PROPERTY WILL NOT PAY A PENNY AS THEY JUST PASS IT ON.
Like the Appointed Superintendent of Escambia County Schools, this was pushed forward by the “Infamous Downtown Crowd and the Young Do-Gooders” bunch.
Sounds like nothing much will ever come of the proposals and promises and the TAX will Never Go Away.
Didn’t vote for it encouraged anyone who’d listen to Not Vote for this thing.
Public Schools and other services already take care of the same things this group thinks they can heal and make it all better.
Perhaps everyone here should have had nasty people making these types of comments to childrens faces and telling them what you are posting..no kid is throwing money down a rat hole…to everyone on here that is so pima donna ..perhaps before you were born..your parents should have been told you are not worth it…..
Go to church and stand in front and tell all children that they are an imposition.
Go to the schools and tell them the same…cowards behind a keyboard..loathsomely type at that.
To those who do not have children…you dont deserve them or ever should have access to them. VILE
Nasty nasty people
@tax payer……..Yet at one point you yourself were a child and benefited in one way or another from tax payer money including tax payer money from people that did not and do not have children.
I am all for the Childrens trust however as a homeowner I have to wonder were all that wonderful tax money from the new medical marijuana program is going? Also I wonder how low my property taxes would be and how much funding would be available if recreational marijuana were legal.
Pensacola has so many problems. Education, homeless, and now they want you to pay for services that you are already paying for, and not being used, or even explained to the residents. Property owners are pushed again by another tax. So why not increase the tag fee for our county, so everyone pays a fair share! We have seen a lot of wasteful spending in our city. And always comeback to the property owners. It’s not that much in a tax. It all adds up ! Everyone should pay there fair share. Stop taxing the home owner. We are not your Atm.
My husband and I did not vote for this.. if we keep paying for all this additional stuff then there is no incentive for people to get up and work or provide for their own families.. so many on welfare.. generations that have been on welfare.. they dont care to work.. they have a roof over their head, get money for groceries, free medical, etc… maybe we should all quit working and let the govt take care of us.. there needs to be a set time to receive welfare.. then you are on your own..
DON’T HAVE KIDS, NEVER HAD KIDS. BUT STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM.
THAT SUCKS, I GET ZERO BENEFIT. THEN HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM WHEN THEY GO TO JAIL. STOP TAXING ME!!!!!!!!!
So it starts. First they will need an administrator and staff to manage the funds and “solutions”. Then of course they will need to pay expenses of all those board members cause that’s just the right thing to do. Then the administrator can’t be expected to remain unpaid because she has expenses too. The staff will continue to grow especially when all that Biden money starts rolling in. You know the drill, it takes a lot of people to take the taxpayers money and figure out ways to spend it that don’t sound too frivolous.
MORE BIG GOVERNMENT CREEP!
So, riddle me this Batman, why is “society” entitled to a portion of my labor? If I own myself (we all do), then I also own the fruits of my labor. So how is it the state can show up and demand a portion of my labor? It’s not enough to just demand it, if I refuse to pay then men with guns will show up and kidnap me (its kidnapping because not paying extortion ain’t a crime). If I resist being kidnapped, I will be beaten. If I resist hard enough I will be killed. Taxation is theft. It is part time slavery.
Land of the free, amiright?
Whine,whine whine…that is the new song for today…next up…cry me a river!
Selfish whiners
Yay! Mare taxes!
Said people who don’t have to pay them.
I voted against this new tax!! When are parents going to take responsibility for “their” children? Hillary Clinton said it takes village to raise your children. I guess Escambia County has bought into it hook line and sinker!! Every time any organization needs money they always say it’s for the children!! Throwing more money down a rat hole.
Homeowners should have been the only one’s to have voted for this.
The rest of the folks who do not OWN Property, should have not.
An increase in the millage rate of 0.5 means property taxes will go up 0.05% of the assessed value. So, the average increase of $40 on property taxes is for an average assessed value of $80,000.00.
According to Realtor.com, the current Median Sold Home Price in Pensacola, FL is $223,300. Subtract the $50,000 homestead exemption, and you have $173,300, which gives you a annual tax of $86.65 for this program. A rental house would pay tax on the entire $223,300, or $111/year.
Going to be interesting to read the comments later this year when property tax bills start showing up.
Yes we got duped, but if I remember correctly it passed with a large margin. It will be a scam, and line pockets . Once voted in it will never go away. It duplicates so much of what we are already paying for.
More reasons to go up on our property tax. Reads like a duplication of services. Don’t we already have enough programs? Most in town don’t even know about what programs we have already. Sounds like a waste of taxpayer dollars. Obviously I did not vote in favor, but I’ll still get to pay.
VOTE YES FOR KIDS
PF Pol adv for by Escambia Children’s Trust PAC
Escambia County got duped. I really hope this can get put on the ballot again. I honestly don’t know anyone that voted for it.
If it is about children’s safety, I hope they discuss ensuring camera’s are on the outside of school busses to capture the license plates of those who decide that a stopped school bus is something they don’t need to stop for. In addition, work with law enforcement to up the fines for those who decide to not stop.