Watching the finances

Back from Christmas. Back to “Watching the Finances!” Actually, never stopped. Catnip. The “elected,” school board’s alleged discrimination and disparity concerning its real property, its alleged false reporting involving public records requests, and the status of the school board’s $5.8 million in real property assets continues; not including the $3.2 million campus leased to Somerset District Schools.
Whereas I, and the “elected,” school board’s own attorney recommended they sell all real property deemed no educational value, I, for one did not mean for pennies on the dollar. For instance: records indicate, on April 23, 2018, our “elected,” school board sold one (1) acre of land for only 0.02 percent ($100), of its $5,000 certified value. And, at a 50 percent taxpayer dollar loss. Interestingly, the buyer’s address is listed as one of the “elected,” school board members (Shirley Washington), address. Chairman Bill Brumfield relayed this will be “explained,” during the next regular school board meeting (January 2020). Stay tuned...
On October 15, 2019, our “elected,” school board sold .31 acres, in the NW middle of its 26.69 acre campus (former Jefferson Elementary School), for 21 percent ($14,246.82), of its $67,842 value. A buyer’s real estate dream: to purchase a little more than one quarter of one acre - in the middle of a 26.69 acre land tract. What a deal.
If this methodology of calculation was applied to “A-Building,” which we the taxpayers own – but are required to buy again, $270,000.00 to date, the deed would have already been transferred to the BOCC. In 2015. “Paid in full.” In 2019, deed transfer and a refund of $135,000 taxpayer dollars is now warranted.
We give these “elected,” board members our support and trust. We do not held them accountable. DOE did. But, not us. We vote. Go to work. Pay taxes. Speaking of taxes, we pay more “School Board Taxes,” than we do county and municipality taxes. Some pay almost double in school board taxes than in county and city taxes combined. That’s not all folks…to reiterate, all Jefferson County citizens pay another $2,000 dollars per month, to the school board for one building, “A-Building,” the building you and I and all other citizens have owned since 1832. Each citizen should care. We all pay property taxes. Owners pay directly and renters pay indirectly (for the owner).
In an email to each school board member, I relayed “…in your wildest dreams, you never thought Florida’s Department of Education (DOE), would involuntarily takeover our school district. They did.” “The first and only involuntary takeover, within the state of Florida.” One of the few in the United States. It continued, “In your wildest dreams, you did not think DOE would take your “capital outlay money (est. one million dollars plus). They did. What is next?” Our real property - $5.8 million plus.
Let’s not wait until our board’s real estate holdings are taken too. Our local government has invested too much money to restore the once dilapidated buildings to pay rent to a Charter or other private company or have to build another complex (taxpayer dollars).
Board members: please convey all buildings occupied by our local government to the BOCC. Support your county, its commissioners and its citizens. We have supported each of you time and time again Bill, Sandra, Charles and Shirley (first term for Gladys Roann-Watson).
Citizens: A board member who does not vote to convey – has voted against you and me. If this becomes the case, we need to recruit and vote for candidates who will make this “wrong, right.”