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BOE lowers school taxes slightly, restores cut funds

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com

An error in calculating Fayette County’s 2004 tax digest has allowed the Board of Education to restore $350,000 in cuts previously ordered to the current year budget, and lower the tax rate charged to homeowners ever so slightly from last year as well.

The gross taxable digest increased by more than $61 million, which forced the school board and the city councils in Fayetteville, Tyrone, Peachtree City and Brooks to restate their tax rates for the coming year.

In a called meeting Tuesday night, board members first voted 4-1 to rescind the earlier operations millage rate of 19.19 approved in August. Board member Greg Powers opposed the change, apparently on principle.

Then, board members accepted a recommendation from outgoing Finance Director James Stephens to reset the operations millage at 18.99 mills and the bond millage for new construction at 3.687 mills, for a total of 22.677 mills.

That’s down by a fraction of last year’s taxable rate of 22.694 mills.

Homeowners will likely still pay a little more in school taxes this year because of increase in the estimated value of property, however.

The school board will hold new public hearings, as required by law, on the tax rate change on Tuesday at noon and 7 p.m. and Sept. 23 at 8:30 a.m.

The change means tax bills will be slightly delayed going out, by Oct. 1, which means the deadline for tax collections will be pushed back to Nov. 30.

That could again put the board in a bind come December when salaries come due but tax revenue is lagging behind.

Board Member Janet Smola asked Stephens if it meant the board would have to borrow to meet payroll again, as it has done in previous Decembers.

“Yes, you will have to borrow because this will delay us receiving tax receipts by three to four weeks,” Stephens said. About $8 million was borrowed last year to pay December salaries, Stephens said.

Board Chair Terri Smith said borrowing wasn’t that big of a deal. “We’ve only not had to do it one or two years in my memory,” she said. “It’s not that unusual.”

In other business Tuesday, the school board:

• Accepted the resignation of longtime administrative secretary Annie Masters, who is retiring after 32 years of service to the school system. “I’m the fifth superintendent she has taught,” remarked Superintendent John DeCotis, who said he reluctantly accepted her retirement notice. “She’s been wonderful for Fayette County Schools.”

• Approved a number of job transfers and new hires, including Julie Turner from assistant principal at Oak Grove Elementary to Testing Coordinator at the LaFayette Education Center; Mike Vena, from teacher at Whitewater Middle School to an assistant principal position at Fayette County High School, replacing Jim Martin; and James Lee Davis from Clayton County as comptroller in the Finance Department, replacing the retiring James Stephens.