Charlotte County commissioners delays rehiring until after Amendment 3 vote

Charlotte County commissioners unanimously decided this week to leave vacant positions unfilled if employees quit, aiming to save money ahead of the November vote on Amendment 3. The decision means they will not hire replacements for departing workers until voters determine whether to approve the amendment. If passed, Amendment 3 would lower property tax bills for many residents, but reduce the amount of tax revenue available for counties to use. "Where's the taxes going to be collected to make up for that? No. 2, what about the other people that work in public service? Police. Fire. People who clean up the infrastructure," asked Dan Hagan of Charlotte County, who sat in on Tuesday night's meeting. When brought up by Commissioner Christopher Constance, he explained his stance by saying, "I think it's important for us to make a statement that we are trying to be fiscally appropriate." DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.