The Independent Citizens Referendum Oversight Committee met to review how Marion County's voter-approved 1-mill ad valorem property tax has been spent and to conduct routine committee business. Robert Rios Wells, chief financial officer for Marion County Public Schools, told the panel the tax was approved Nov. 8, 2022, took effect July 1, 2023 and runs through June 30, 2027.

Rios Wells said the district expects to collect about $262,000,000 over the referendum's life and projects roughly $252,000,000 in total expenditures to date. For the current fiscal year he reported a budget of $42,000,000 in referendum-funded spending. "These funds can be used only for very specific purposes, like reading, PE, art, music, library and media, and vocational programs," he said, and noted unspent dollars roll forward to support continuity of programs.

Committee members heard program-level figures: kindergarten paraprofessionals have a $5.7 million budget with $2.6 million spent to support 161 paraprofessionals; physical education has a $10 million budget with $3.9 million spent to date funding 106 PE teachers and 24 PE technicians; media and library funding stands at $4.4 million with $1.7 million spent, supporting 49 media specialists; and arts and music programs each carry multi-million dollar budgets with multi-year activity and awards noted by presenters. Rios Wells also reported an ending fund balance of about $13.3 million rolling into the current year and an expected year-end fund balance near $12 million.

The committee conducted routine business during the meeting. After correcting the attendance record, members moved and approved the prior meeting minutes. Later, members moved, seconded and approved the committee's annual report. The group also completed its organizational duties: Melanie Leister was elected chair for the year and committee members moved to re-nominate Floyd Magwood as vice chair (subject to his acceptance); Angie Lester volunteered and was approved to keep minutes.

The presentation and discussion included a reminder that charter schools are statutorily entitled to a share of referendum funds and administer their own allocations. Staff said charter-school budgets mirror district categories and reported roughly $900,000 in charter allocations with approximately $450,000 spent to date across those campuses.

The committee was reminded that the district anticipates a referendum renewal vote in November to seek another four-year authorization to cover 07/01/2027 through 06/30/2031. The meeting closed after gratitude from district leadership and reminders of upcoming school visits.