Habersham County Board of Education Chief Financial Officer Staci Newsome presented an updated budget to the board members during Thursday’s work session.
The total budget saw no increase and remains at $126,806,511. The general fund saw no increase as well and remains at $97,042,115. The board will see the same budget Monday during the regular board meeting.
SEE RELATED: Habersham County BOE to discuss FY 2025 budget, millage rate June 13
Millage rate
Newsome discussed with the board not only the budget but the millage rate. “The budget that you all just saw and we will ask you to approve Monday night, includes the same millage rate that we have this current year,” she said. “We are not proposing to change the millage rate,” Newsome added.
The current millage rate for the Habersham County Board of Education is 10.354 mils.
She explained to the board members that at this time, they have not received the tax digest. Staff are hoping to receive preliminary numbers very soon.
Newsome reminded the board that they have to approve a budget by June 30 or do a spending resolution until they approve a budget. She recommended that they approve the budget as is, factored with the current millage rate and then approve the millage rate separately.
“Your recommendation is we don’t go up on the millage rate. We keep it where it is?” Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper asked. Newsome replied, “Yes.”
Cooper added, “People need to understand this school board doesn’t set property values. They only set the millage rate.” He explained that property values are set by the Assessors office. If their value goes up, they have to talk to the Assessors office.
She added an important note in her presentation to the board members. “While the school tax will remain the same at 10.354, this does not necessarily mean property taxes will stay exactly the same for every property owner. The property owner’s individual tax bill depends on a number of factors including how much their specific property value rose or fell in the most recent assessment and also the type of exemptions for which they qualify. The bottom line is each property owner’s situation is unique and they could pay more, or less, in taxes.”
Public hearings
Newsome explained to the board that since the millage rate was going to remain unchanged for the time being, they had to treat it like a tax increase and hold three public hearings for the millage rate. She explained the protocol for the advertising and meeting requirements for those public hearings.
She proposed that the board hold the millage rate public hearings in July. The first public hearing would be Thursday, July 11 at 12;00 p.m. The second public hearing would also be Thursday, July 11 at 6:00 p.m. The third public hearing would be Monday, July 22 at 4:30 p.m. Immediately after the third hearing July 22, the Board of Education would have a special called meeting to adopt the millage rate.
If the millage rate remains unchanged based on the tax digest, this will be the first time in several years that the Board of Education did not rollback property taxes.
