Newspaper Page Text
August 13, 2008
-
Reporter
PAGE 3A
Local News
School tax rates down, bills up
^£treme Sole
Board decries state cutbacks
BY WILL DAVIS
Most Monroe County
property owners will pay
more in school taxes this
year, but how much more
still isn’t known.
The school board voted
tentatively to cut its tax
rate by 8 percent Friday,
from 13.9 mills to 12.8
mills for 2008. For most
homeowners, that would
not offset a 23 percent
increase in property values
that came with a county
wide property revaluation
earlier this year. And on
Monday, school officials
learned they’ll have to re
set their tax rate again,
probably at a higher rate.
That after it was deter
mined that $73 million in
local tax exemptions were
not taken out of the total
value by the tax office.
The board was expected
to take back up the tax
issue at its regular meet
ing Tuesday, Aug. 12.
If given final approval
later this month, the new
tax rate will fund the
school system’s $32.7 mil
lion budget, which was
approved in June. The
budget includes a 2.5 per
cent pay raise for teachers,
custodians and clerical
staff.
The school board could
set a proposed tax rate for
2008 until it received a tax
digest, which it thought it
had on Friday. The digest
is the total value of all tax
able property in Monroe
County. Slowed by a huge
number of appeals, the
board of assessors finally
produced that number,
$1.48 billion, last week.
Then on Monday the asses
sors discovered they had
erroneously excluded $73
million in exemptions.
Correcting the problem
dropped the total digest to
$1.41 billion.
Assistant superintendent
Jackson Daniel said with
the board may have to
raise its rate back above
12.8 mills using the cor
rected digest received
Monday.
Further, Monroe County
schools may also have to
cut about $400,000 from
their budget to comply
with a 2-percent across-
the-board cut ordered by
the state. That due to
falling sales tax revenues.
Moreover, the school sys
tem could lose an addition
al $590,000 if the state
cuts back its homestead
exemption reimbursements
to counties.
Without those state cut
backs, said Daniel, the
millage rate would be clos
er to 12 mills.
The 2008 budget includes
funds for Monroe County’s
265 teachers, whose
salaries range from
$34,026 to $78,390. The
average Monroe County
teacher’s salary is $52,600.
In order to attract and
retain quality teachers to
Monroe County schools,
Daniel says the county
pays a local supplement of
7.3 percent of the state’s
recommended base pay for
teachers.
“That has helped us with
our retention rate,” said
Daniel. “Being able to hire
good teachers is very
important and is good for
Monroe County Opinion Poll
What should be done about Commissioner
Larry Evans' latest tirade? (concerning two war
rants issued for Larry)
1. Larry should step down 165 votes, 64%
as commissioner
2. Larry has done
nothing wrong
13 votes, 5%
3. We should let the justice 65 votes, 25%
system decide Larry's fate
4. Let's just forget about it 16 votes, 6%
This week: What’s the best way to stop crime
like Sunday’s shooting?
Vote at www.mymcr.net and see the results in
next week’s Reporter.
the entire community.”
Daniel says because the
county is able to compete
for the best teachers in the
state, the school system
continues to improve and
remains one of the top sys
tems in Georgia.
Since 2001, the county’s
education budget has
increased 33 percent, from
just under $22 million to
$32.7 million. The school
enrollment has increased
only about 3 percent, from
3,759 in 2001 to an esti
mated 3,900 next year. The
county spends about
$8,400 per student each
year.
The Monroe County
Board of Education meets
on the second Tuesday of
each month at 7 p.m. in
the central office on
Brooklyn Ave. The meet
ings are open to the public.
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All clear for
Forsyth water
BY JOLEE VAUGHN
It’s back to normal for Forsyth water customers, who
were given the all clear last Tuesday evening to drink
the city's water.
Seven tests of water samples came back Tuesday
evening and were OK, the city announced, allowing it to
lift its boil order and give all residents the go ahead to
drink city water. The day before, the city had lifted the
boil ban in most of the city except for where one of the
seven samples had come back positive.
The water problems started with a water main break
off Hwy 42 South in Forsyth Aug. 1, affecting about 3,000
Forsyth water customers. The main break was on a 70-
year-old, 8-inch line branching out from the city's water
treatment plant. It was one of two main pipes that serve
the entire city.
Pat Wright of Utility Partners, which runs the city’s
water service, called the main break “a very big deal.”
The event city lost nearly 1 million gallons of water.
Wright extended thanks to all the individuals who
worked together to notify citizens, pass out bottled water,
and answer phones. Mayor Tye Howard commended all
who contributed stating, “The city owes you thanks.”
r*s
We manage assets,
on and off the field
Lisa Slaughter has deep family roots in Monroe County She was
born and raised here and comes from a family that has been
banking with Monroe County Bank for four generations. When
Lisa chose banking as her profession, she sought a career with the
Monroe County Bank, and has worked there for the past 12 years.
When Lisa is not serving customers at the bank, you can often
find her at the Monroe County Recreation Department. She and
her husband Greg are active in their childrens' athletic programs.
Both have coached T-ball and Lisa has also coached her
daughters cheerleading team. Ashleigh (6) and Christopher (4)
will both be playing soccer this fall, and Ashleigh will also be
cheering. It's one more way Monroe County Bank shows that
Bankers Hours don’t end when the lights go off. That's when the
lights go on at the recreation department, where Lisa Slaughter is
encouraging and teaching our county's young people.
FDIC
INSURED
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MONROE COUNTY BANK
Local. Listening. Leading.
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