In addition to the three proposed amendments to the Florida constitution, Clay County voters will face choices on two additional ballot questions: a proposed charter amendment and a referendum from the school board regarding property tax funding for the school district.
Charter Amendment
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Over the past year, Clay County’s Charter Review Commission considered more than a dozen topics for potential changes to the county’s charter. In May, the commission voted to present a proposed charter amendment, changing the salaries for county commissioners. Currently, the charter sets the salary at $37,000 a year. The amendment would instead set the salary based on a formula in Florida Statute 145.031, which calculates the salary based on population.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Clay County had a population of 239,593. If that were the population figure used, the formula would calculate a salary of $17,093.90.
Voters will be asked to make a yes or no choice on the following question:
Shall the Clay County Charter be amended to remove the Charter specified requirement of county commissioner salaries set at $37,000, remove the requirement that any salary changes must be approved by a majority of electors in a general election, and provide that county commissioner salaries shall be limited as set forth for non-charter counties in Florida Statutes Section 145.031 Board of County Commissioners?
School Board Referendum
In August 2018, Clay County voters first approved a 1-mill property tax for schools, with the revenue being used to enhance the safety and security of schools, and other school operating expenses. The initial referendum came after the February 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland prompted the state legislature to require school districts to put security guards in every public schools, and districts were left to figure out how to pay for it.
The one mill tax was originally set to be in place for four years, at which point it would have to be renewed. Voters did approve the renewal in November 2022, extending the tax through June 30, 2027. The 2026 referendum would extend that date through June 30, 2031. It would not place a new tax on homeowners.
A table on the school district’s website shows how the money was allocated for the 2025-2026 school year. More than $7 million went to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for security at 37 schools, with roughly half a million dollars going to the Green Cove Springs and Orange Park police departments combined, for security at an additional five schools. $2.7 million was allocated for the guardian program, with more than $7 million going to hardening projects to improve security.
Under state law, a portion also had to be shared with charter schools, based on their enrollment. According to the district’s table, a little more than $1.2 million went to charter schools.
In addition to funding for safety and security, the referendum also states some of the money would be used for attracting high-quality teachers and staff through competitive compensation.
Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the following question:
To protect students and schools by investing in school safety, including the presence of law enforcement officers in schools, and to support strong academic results by attracting and retaining high-quality teachers and staff through competitive compensation, shall the School District of Clay County renew the existing one-mill ad valorem funding for four years, with all expenditures subject to review by an independent citizens’ oversight committee?