Parking Restrictions lifted for BOCC Fri 10am Meeting

Parking Restrictions lifted for BOCC Fri 10am Meeting

The Board of County Commissioners have lifted the parking restrictions for around the Citrus County Courthouse for Friday’s emergency BOCC meeting.

CCSB Chairman Statement

CCSB Chairman Statement

Today we were informed that one of Citrus County’s largest taxpayers has decided not to pay their full tax bill. In any year, that would cause major problems. Compounding this surprising and disappointing issue is that this action affects the fiscal year that began July 1, 2012.

The taxpayer is Progress Energy/Duke Energy. The Property Appraiser assessed the company’s property and the value resulted in a property tax bill of approximately $35 million. That is approximately 26 percent of the tax base for Citrus County.  On Wednesday, the company paid the Tax Collector approximately $19 million—roughly half of what they owe.  This results in approximately $8 million less for Citrus County Schools.

It has been a rough couple of years for our schools. We have tightened our belt and focused on ensuring that our children get the education they need.  Many things have already been affected by prior budget cuts, including before and after school programs, transportation, staffing and more. We have worked hard and adjusted our prior budgets in order to maintain our education level of service.  But, our budget for this fiscal year was set by July 1, 2012. We worked on it for months—balancing the needs of students and teachers in an already challenged economic climate.

We are naturally very concerned about the impact this will have on our students and teachers and staff. We have scheduled an emergency meeting so that we can gain a better understanding of the potential consequences of this action and the alternatives available to us.

The Emergency Meeting will be held: Friday, November 30, 2012, 2 PM, District Services Center, 1007 West Main Street, Inverness, FL 34450

Virginia Bryant, Chair
Citrus County School Board

Emergency School Board Meeting for Friday due to Duke Energy

Emergency School Board Meeting for Friday due to Duke Energy

Citrus County School Board Chairperson Ginger Bryant has also called an emergency board meeting for 2:00pm on Friday, November 30th, 2012, to also discuss the matter of Progress/Duke Energy’s tax bill and its effect on the school board’s operations.
The Citrus County Board of Commission has also schedule an emergency meeting for 10:00am on Friday, November 30th.
See news story: http://www.chronicleonline.com/content/progress-tax-decision-jolts-county

Marine Science Station Tour & Museum Dedication Photo Story

Marine Science Station Tour & Museum Dedication

Photo Story


From Marine Science Station Tour & Museum Dedication, posted by Citrus County School District on 11/17/2012 (199 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2


School Board Annual Organizational Meeting & Swearing in of Elected Officials

School Board Annual Organizational Meeting & Swearing in of Elected Officials

Today in compliance with Florida Statute was our annual school board’s organizational meeting which every two years is also when we swear into office our new board members and every four years the superintendent.

The meeting began with Superintendent giving the opening exercises which are the superintendent’s responsibilities at the annual organizational meeting.

The Honorable Judge Patricia V. Thomas who was a former school board member herself, swore in Sandra “Sam” Himmel as Superintendent of Schools and then swore in Virginia Bryant and Susan Hale as School Board Members.

Next the board elected the Chairperson for the coming board year. Virginia Bryant was voted as Chairperson and Patricia Deutschman as Vice Chairperson.

Lastly the board voted on the meeting days and times for the coming board year.  I made a motion and Ms. Deutschman seconded and the School Board approved that Regular Business Meetings to be held on the second Tuesday of each month beginning at 4:00 p.m. and any Special Meetings/Workshops will be called as needed, which is typically the fourth Tuesday of each month.

I want to congratulation Superintendent Sam Himmel and School Board Member Virginia Bryant on being re-elected.  I also want to congratulate newly elected School Board Member Susan Hale.

MSS 45th Anniversary, Museum Rededication & Open House

Marine Science Station 45th Anniversary, Museum Rededication & Open House

The Citrus School Board renovation of the Marine Museum over a year ago and it is hoped at in the near future it will again be would fill the museum with more learning. The original museum was built in 1968 and was dedicated in 1969 in memory of form native and Navy person and Naval aquanaut Barry L. Cannon.  Please join us at the Open House and rededication on November 17th, 2012 beginning at 9:00am thru 2:00pm with the dedication at 11:00am.

Barry L. Cannon Memorial Wet Laboratory Marine Museum (now named ‘Berry L. Cannon Memorial Aquarium‘)

“This museum was named for the outstanding career of Barry L. Cannon, a civilian electronic engineer, whose life was cut short when he met death while working on the ocean floor the first day of the Navy’s Sea Lab III project off San Clemente Island, off the California coast, on Feb. 17, 1969. Cannon, who was 33 years old at the time of his death, was a veteran of the Navy’s Man-in-the-Sea program, an extensive and projected program to determine man’s ability to live and work in the ocean. Cannon also was a participating aquanaut during the Sea Lab II experiment conducted in 1965, La Jolla, Calif. CA Cannon was on active duty in the Navy from 1953 to 1957, attended the University of Nevada and received his BS Degree in electronics engineering from the University of Florida in 1962. He had been with the Navy Laboratory in Panama City since 1963.” (Excerpt from the Orlando Sentinel, written June 17th, 1970.)