Dublin school board OKs tax increase

Most Dublin property owners will pay a little more in school taxes to offset revenue lost from a senior citizen tax break approved by city voters last November.

The Dublin City Board of Education quietly passed the 3.9 percent tax increase Monday night, approving a new millage rate of 18.772. Despite the hike, the district is projecting just $40 more in local school taxes than was collected last year.

“It’s to keep us pretty much where we’re at, dollar-wise,” said board chairman David Westerfield.

The tax increase drew no objections or input from the public. No resident spoke at any of the three public hearings on the rate hike. Monday’s hearing was held in a near-empty Dublin High auditorium, a stark contrast to two years ago when standing-room-only crowds packed the board’s office to protest a 25 percent tax increase.

Many of those residents were senior citizens who said they were already having a hard time making ends meet. That led to the school board and local lawmakers to call for a referendum on an additional local homestead exemption for elderly property owners, which voters passed.

Without the tax increase, the cash-strapped district would receive about $680,000 less in local taxes than last year.

“We know we’re in a crunch right now. We need to make sure we do not go backwards,” said board member D’Andrea King.

The school district ended fiscal year 2026 with a $3.8 million deficit. Its new budget finishes with a projected $821,000 surplus.

Board member Doug Eaves noted the district’s tenuous cashflow projections, saying, “We don’t need to dig that hole deeper.”

“Nobody wants a tax increase, but it’s much needed at this time,” he said. “What’s right is not always what’s popular. What’s right in this instance is to protect our students, our teachers, and our parents.”

For homeowners, the 3.9 percent tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $125,000 is about $35 – almost as much as the total additional revenue the increase will generate for the schools.

“Even though the millage rate is increasing, this is, in essence, revenue-neutral with taxes,” board member Randy Green said. “We hope the community will support us as we work toward getting the school system back on its feet financially.”

The district should get a break of its own when tax season arrives this winter. The Dublin City Council recently approved a one-time cap of $200,000 on its fee for collecting school taxes. The city charges 2.5 percent, the most common collection rate charged for collecting school taxes in Georgia.

The break could potentially save the district about $171,000.