Dublin property owners facing school tax increase

Dublin property owners are likely facing another increase in school taxes, though not nearly as large as last year’s.

The cash-strapped Dublin City Board of Education voted Monday to keep its millage rate at 18.564 mills, which due to growth in the city’s tax digest will net a 3.9 percent increase in property taxes. The increase would follow an almost 25 percent tax hike a year ago.

That increase yielded almost $3 million more in property taxes than budgeted, yet the system still finished the fiscal year in the red and, according to state officials, faced a projected $13.4 million deficit before it began massive cuts last month. The increase this year is expected to bring in an additional $558,032.

The board must hold three required public hearings before approving the tax increase. The hearings will be held at noon on Friday, Nov. 14, and noon and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, followed by a vote at a 6:30 board meeting. Members initially proposed holding the two final hearings and the meeting on Friday, Nov. 21.

“I think Friday is a terrible idea if you want to give people the opportunity to come speak,” said board member Regina McRae.

The city tax digest increased in value to $799.8 million, up from $769.8 million a year ago.

“That’s due to any kind of new development, new properties, reassessment values,” said financial consultant Samantha Jenkins.

The millage rate should generate about $14.8 million in revenue – excluding any collection fees and taxes that go unpaid, Jenkins told the board. 

  “It’s an increase due to reassessment values. The value of homes have increased which means your revenue will increase,” she said.

“Good luck getting people to believe that,” said board member James Lanier.

To avoid a tax increase, the board would have to roll the millage rate back to 17.9 mills.

According to the schools, the proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $150,000 is $38.04, and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $100,000 is $63.40.

By law, school boards must advertise the proposed tax increase and the public hearings, as well as issue a news release. Dublin’s release on Tuesday offered an explanation for the increase, saying, “The budget for Dublin City Schools Board of Education requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate.”