Glitch siphons $1.5 million from Baker schools
By Clifford Davis, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
For a county already dealing with a
"What ended up happening was the school board got shorted and everyone else received an added share," said County Manager C.J. Thompson. "The total amount of taxes collected was correct -- which was my first concern that we didn't owe taxpayers back any money -- where the error occurred is how it was then split up and distributed."
From 2008 to 2012, about
For what the state has designated a distressed, rural county where 60 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, not having the money hurt.
The missing money, Richardson said, caused the school district to dip deeper into its already-depleted reserves than would have been necessary if it received the money.
"If you don't get the amount of revenues for which you've budgeted, there is a financial impact," Richardson said. "That's when I first recognized there was a problem."
The school district is required to budget for 96 percent of the tax rate and the school district began to routinely receive less than that.
"The economy was so bad, I just assumed people were not paying their taxes," she said. "Then when the economy started coming back a little bit and we still weren't getting the money, that's when I went to the tax collector's office."
Although Richardson said she first brought her suspicions to the tax collector's office in 2012, it was not until
However, many local lawmakers were not made aware of the problem until early July.
The sticking point to some county commissioners was not that the problem occurred, but why the county commission did not find out about it until now -- a year after Richardson contacted Harvey about the problem.
"Why were we not informed?" Commissioner
"Why were we kept out of the loop?"
Harvey responded that though the county would not receive the
"The effect was miniscule," Harvey said. "I agree with you,
Croft countered that over the next four years the amount won't be miniscule.
"You withheld
Harvey reiterated the problem was miniscule for the current budget year.
Commission Chairman
In addition to money now owed the school board, Thompson said
"The big item the board is looking at now is the privatization of Baker County EMS," Thompson said. "EMS' operating deficit through June was
"Of the
Thompson also cited increased health insurance costs.
"Insurance costs (for county employees) has killed us," he said. "One of the things we were able to sustain for quite some time was part-time employees instead of full-time.
"But with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, you have to provide them insurance as well that really erodes the fiscal value of part-time employees."
There are three options to make ends meet for the county budget: raise taxes, cut services or dip into the county's already-depleted savings.
"I'll know more on
"The budget is terrible."
[email protected], (904) 359-4103
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