Board Recap

 

The Fayette County Board of Education met in called session on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 in the boardroom of the Fayette County Board of Education.  The following actions were taken:

 

1.                  Approved to act in called session

2.                  Approved agenda

3.                  Approved the following proposed 2004 – 2005 millage rate:

 

The Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax will increase by .321 mills while the Bond tax will decrease by .082 mills. This will result in a net increase to taxpayers of .239 mills in additional taxation on their property. The increase will increase property taxes for the owner of a $200,000 home by approximately $19.12 per year, or $1.59 per month. Over the past several years the board has been able to reduce millage rates through growth in the overall digest. In fact, the total millage was reduced from 23.99 mills to 21.694 between tax year 1998 and tax year 2002. In tax year 2003 and 2004, slight increases in local millage have been necessitated to offset reductions in state funds.

Over the past three years, the State of Georgia has made over $8 million in reductions to the Fayette County Public School System due to the decline in the economy and the resulting downturn in tax receipts. The Fayette County Board of Education has taken every reasonable measure to reduce spending while trying to uphold the quality of education provided the young people of our county. We ask that all our citizens understand the difficulty the board members and staff have encountered in trying to balance the educational needs and the imperative to protect taxpayers from excessive taxation.

Under provisions of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, the Board of Education will hold three public hearings in order to make the public aware of the increase. These hearings will be held at the Fayette County Board of Education, 210 West Stonewall Avenue, Fayctteville, Georgia, at the following times:

Thursday, August 5, 2004 at 12:00 Noon and at 7:00 P.M. Thursday, August 12, 2004 at 8:30 A.M.

The Board encourages all citizens to attend one or more of these public hearings in      order to better understand the reasoning behind the action to set millage rates at the level determined in the Board's action.

 

4.         Adjourned