Pinellas voters OK school property tax referendum for sixth time

For the sixth time, Pinellas County voters approved a school property tax referendum designed to boost teacher pay and increase the amount of arts and reading programs available for students.

This time around, they agreed to double the tax rate as a way to add noninstructional employees to the group getting annual bonuses. Had the measure failed, the added money teachers received in their paychecks for the past 20 years would have disappeared.

With the higher rate, though, the approval level at the ballot box was lower than in 2020, when the initiative received nearly 80% support. With nearly all precincts reporting, the measure was getting 67% of the vote.

"This shows that the people in Pinellas County respect their teachers, respect their schools and are willing to reward them for the things they do," said Lee Bryant, Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association president, whose organization campaigned tirelessly for the initiative.

Voters also chose a replacement for veteran school board member Carol Cook, who is retiring after six terms in office. They again went against the endorsement of Gov. Ron DeSantis, just as they did in the August primary.

Katie Blaxberg, a former educator and legislative assistant, narrowly won the seat, rounding out a sweep of candidates opposing a slate backed by DeSantis and and the right-leaning Moms for Liberty. She defeated Stacy Geier, receiving 52% of the vote.

"I am looking forward to representing not just District 5, but all of the teachers, students, parents and staff of Pinellas County schools," Blaxberg said. "It's very exciting."

Blaxberg ran as a moderate Republican, pushing back against the more right-leaning platform that Geier promoted. They differed on key issues including the referendum, which Blaxberg supported, and the district's approach to student discipline. The county GOP executive committee backed Geier.

Blaxberg has three school-age children, one of whom attends school in the district. She has said working to meet her children's various education needs has made her see the need to improve access to academic choices.

Two years after Republicans flipped the majority on the Pinellas County Commission, they now have all but one seat.

Republican Chris Scherer has defeated Democrat Joanne "Cookie" Kennedy for Democrat Janet Long's seat in District 1. And in District 3, Vince Nowicki led incumbent Charlie Justice with 96% of votes tallied.

Nowicki, a real estate agent and investor, has made a name for himself as a conservative watchdog in recent years. He accused city council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman of not living in the district she represented in 2022. She later resigned.

He unsuccessfully ran for St. Petersburg mayor in 2021. Two years later he filed a nepotism complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics against Mayor Ken Welch, but it was dismissed.

Many Republicans endorsed him during this race, from state Reps. Kim Berfield, Linda Chaney and Berny Jacques to Commissioner Chris Latvala.

Justice was first elected to the commission in 2012. He held onto his seat by a narrow margin in 2020, telling the Times then that "the national partisanship trickled down more than most thought it would to local races."

René Flowers of District 7 is now the lone Democratic commissioner in Pinellas.

Pinellas County Charter Amendment 1, which would create 12-year term limits for Pinellas County Commissioners, passed. Under this charter amendment, commissioners who serve 12 years would need to sit out four years before running again. It needed 50% of the votes to pass and was receiving just under 90%.