Hagan: Let’s help the Hillsborough schools

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan has asked the board to put aside time this week to discuss the public schools' mounting infrastructural needs.

A time-certain discussion has been scheduled for 10:45 a.m. Wednesday during the county commission meeting.

The purpose is to "discuss collaborating with the Hillsborough County
School District to explore ways the county can help
expedite urgently needed upgrades to school air
conditioners and other vital building infrastructure."

No further details were available Monday.

The county commission has not taken a position on the Nov. 6 referendum to increase the sales tax by a half a percent for 10 years to support school infrastructure. Nor has it taken a position on the other sales tax referendum on the ballot, a full penny for 30 years to pay for transportation improvements.

Election officials, in the meantime, are preparing to send out 205,000 mail-in ballots and are encouraging voters to either vote early or put aside plenty of time to read the many questions before them.

"Ballot fatigue is a real thing," spokeswoman Gerri Kramer said.

Both sales tax questions appear, in English and Spanish, on page four.