Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/146256
Sarasota News Leader July 26, 2013 Page 15 Zucker noted. "[The money is] not coming from the state; it's coming from our local community." The majority of that increase "is coming from our local property taxpayers," Weidner concurred. SC/TA negotiations are not completed yet, board Vice Chairwoman Shirley Brown pointed out. Moreover, the district will see its contribution School Board member Caroline Zucker (left) to the Florida Retirement System (FRS) go up and Chairwoman Jane Goodwin peruse agenby about $4 million, a 17 percent hike over the da material. Photo by Rachel Hackney amount the district is paying in the current Originally, district finance officials were told fiscal year, Brown added. to expect an increase of up to 12 percent in Almost all the increases in the budget for the healthcare coverage expenses as a result of FY 2014 fiscal year are related to legislative that, Weidner explained. mandates, Weidner said. The Legislature gave the School Board "the ability for our local taxpayers to pay a little more" to cover the additional expenses, Brown noted. "On the one hand, I want to sit there and shake their hands," she continued, referring to the legislators. On the other hand, the legislators did not give the district sufficient money for those increases. "They allowed us to get it from our taxpayers," Brown summed it up. CONTINUED CUTTING Before the vote, Goodwin asked Weidner to provide details about the cuts the district has suffered over the past several years. Noting that he was presenting his 31st proposed budget in the district, Weidner explained that the board started out $3.8 million in the hole with its first workshop on the new spending plan, held last October. Since the 2007-08 school year, he said, when Along with the salary negotiations, Weidner the economic downturn began in earnest, the continued, district administrative staff still is district has cut more than $124 million and uncertain about how much healthcare cover- 651 positions. age will cost in the future. Early this month, Budget documents show a total of 5,197 posithe White House announced that it was posttions in FY 2014. poning enforcement of the "employer mandate" until 2015, after the congressional elec- Weidner said one of the most difficult decitions. Under the Affordable Healthcare Act, sions the School Board faced this year was the companies with 50 or more workers face a necessity to cut media specialists' positions fine of as much as $3,000 per employee if they in district middle and high schools starting in do not offer affordable insurance. the next school year.