School board reduces property tax millage but property value increases will lead to a small increase in taxes
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Alachua County School Board voted unanimously to adopt a budget and property tax rate that will increase the amount of revenue while reducing the millage.
Finance Chief Alex Rella told the board that property values have increased, so although the property tax rate was reduced from 6.843 mills (including the 1 mill approved by voters for facilities) to 6.498 mills, most bills will increase. The rolled-back rate (the rate that would raise the same amount of revenue as the district collected last year) would be 5.9531 mills; the adopted rate is 9.15% higher than the rolled-back rate. For families who have made no improvements to their homes, Florida statutes limit the increase in assessed value to a maximum of 3% per year, so Rella said those families will see a maximum of 1.4% increase in their property taxes for the school district. However, the example home cited by Rella saw a small decrease (there is a typographical error on the slide below; the 2022-2023 value of the home should be $122,079).
The proposed budget for 2022-23 is $535 million, including $54.2 million in ESSER funds ($480.8 million without ESSER funds). Last year’s adopted budget was $481.4 million before adding in ESSER funds.
The budget and proposed millage passed unanimously, with Member Mildred Russell absent.
Are they teaching personal finance, home economics, civics, and pro-America history?
Who gave the School Board power over property taxes? I never had any children so WHY do I have to support schools?
Come on Lyn. That’s an old argument the courts have addressed for decades in jurisdictions all over the country. What should be more concerning is the various voter approved taxes the board collects. The Alachua County School Board doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.
Hogs at the money Trough. Money Hungry Hogs that have had more stimulus money thrown at them in the last 3 years the ever before. Typical wasteful Demoncrats . It is never , ever enough. Now if quick fraud McGraw would pay here unjustified she gobbled up while in office illegally, that would be a good start. Do it for the kids .
I see two people wearing masks in the photo, is that for solidarity or for the long Covid?