Wednesday, October 2, 2002
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Wednesday, October 2, 2002 |
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Public missing from hearing on largest property tax item schools By MONROE ROARK
A meeting was called because it was required by law, but no one showed up Tuesday to comment on the Fayette County Board of Education's new millage rates during the first of three required public hearings. The millage is going down, from 21.783 to 21.694, but reassessments could cause some people's taxes to go up anyway, so public hearings are required by law concerning the millage because it could constitute a tax increase for some residents. But school system comptroller Jim Stephens pointed out that the millage has dropped significantly in recent years, as it was as high as 23.99 a few years ago. The millage decrease has meant a drop in about $7 million in revenue to the school system over a few years ago, he said. This could mean some lean times in the near future, as state revenues are going down as well, superintendent John DeCotis said. DeCotis attended a meeting recently where state House Speaker Tom Murphy mentioned the likely state decrease. But the county has cut about as much as it can, Stephens said. The next public hearing concerning the millage is scheduled for tomorrow at 6 p.m. The school board convened Monday in a special called meeting to approve construction issues, including a state funding application totalling $6,450,876 to build Whitewater High School. Also approved was a $99,201 change order for rock blasting on the Crabapple Lane Elementary School construction project. On another item on the Crabapple Lane project, roof and brick selection, no action was taken by the board. The matter will be brought up again at tomorrow's meeting. An executive session was held for an appeal of a student tribunal hearing decision as well as a personnel matter. Those items are confidential, school system spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said, and no action was taken in public session after the executive session concluded.
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