24 days ago
Some Hancock County property owners are speaking out against the Board of Education's plan to raise taxes.
The Board proposed keeping its current millage rate, but some taxpayers say it should roll it back because of a recent re-valuation.
"It's going to make it difficult to pay the taxes each year," says Julia Thomas, a Hancock resident.
Julia Thomas and other property owners say they'll be at the Board of Education Wednesday to fight a proposal to keep the current millage rate.
Thomas says the recent re-valuation doubled and tripled property values for her and some of her neighbors. She says she's worried her property taxes will too if the millage rate stays at 16.9 mills.
"From a little over $700, my property taxes will be about $1,700. Which does not have water, sewage, anything on the actual property. It's just a vacant lot," says Thomas.
Superintendent Awanna Leslie did issue a written statement on behalf of the board.
Leslie says the county has lost about $1.4 million in the past three years in unpaid taxes. She says about 15% or $210,000 would have gone to the schools. She says the problem isn't "overpaid administrators," but "years of unpaid taxes."
Thomas says that's not a good excuse to hike taxes even more.
"They're well above the state average for cost per student, and so I believe that there's plenty of money there to support them and what they need to do," says Thomas.
Thomas says critics also wonder how the money will be spent, since the school board doesn't have their budget done for next year.
"You don't base it off of the money that will be brought in," says Thomas, "And then decide what you're going to spend on things. It should have been decided prior to the meetings."
The Hancock County Board of Education will meet this Wednesday at 6 p.m. to decide on the millage rate. The board will meet at Hancock Central High School in Sparta.
