Councilwoman Tyrona Clark-Murray urged Mandarin residents to reject Amendment 3 and renew the school tax at a town hall Thursday, Oct. 1.

She held the Hyde Park Elementary event while facing a possible suspension without pay from her Duval County Public Schools teaching position. The suspension is pending School Board approval, News4JAX reported.

DCPS previously confirmed that Clark-Murray was removed from classroom duties and temporarily reassigned to a position without student contact during a human resources investigation. The district did not publicly specify the incident that prompted the investigation, although School Board member Melody Bolduc told News4JAX in May that the reassignment involved alleged inappropriate physical contact with a student.

Asked about the pending suspension before the town hall, Clark-Murray said, "I can't say anything right now, but I'm going to confer with my lawyer."

Two tax measures head to voters Nov. 3

Clark-Murray then turned to the ballot measures. Both Amendment 3 and the DCPS 1-mill property tax renewal go before Duval County voters on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The crowd was small. Clark-Murray told attendees she wanted to educate her constituents about the financial implications of Amendment 3, including potential savings for individual homeowners and potential revenue losses for the city.

Amendment 3 would increase Florida's homestead exemption for certain nonschool property taxes. City of Jacksonville Council Auditor Phillip Peterson has estimated the city could lose roughly $200 million in operating revenue in the next fiscal year if the measure passes, according to Resident News. The amendment needs approval from at least 60% of voters statewide to pass.

Clark-Murray advocates for 1-mill renewal

Clark-Murray also advocated for the 1-mill renewal, which Duval County voters first approved in 2022 to support employee compensation and student programs. She said Florida ranks last in teacher pay and argued the millage helps the district retain teachers.

DCPS says the tax funded salary supplements averaging $8,668 per teacher in 2025-26, according to district materials. The district says its teacher vacancy rate dropped from 6.5% to 4.4% after the millage took effect.

About 12% of the millage supports student programming, including arts and athletics. The remainder supports compensation for teachers, school police and other employees.

Attendee Daniel Hagans, whose niece is a school principal, said he plans to vote against Amendment 3 and for the 1-mill renewal. He said the additional cost would be worth it to support teacher pay.

Early voting begins Oct. 20

Early voting in Duval County begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, and continues through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.