June 20, 2005
Charles White: (770) 472-8437

Special note attached at the end of the release
This press release, which is written in language required by Georgia law, includes a special note at the end that offers a plain language explanation of this complicated issue. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our offices.

The Clayton County Board of Education today announces its intention to increase the property taxes it will levy this year by 1.46 percent over the rollback millage rate. A series of three public hearings have been scheduled to give county residents an opportunity to comment.

Each year, the board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and increase the assessment. This is called a reassessment.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia Law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s new digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessment occurred.

The budget adopted by the Clayton County Board of Education requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate. Therefore, before the Clayton County Board of Education may finalize the budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia Law requires that three public hearings be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on this increase.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held on Mondays, June 27, 2005, at 11:30 AM and at 6:30 PM and on July 11, 2005, at 6:00 PM. All public hearings will be held in the Boardroom of the Clayton County Public Schools Administrative Complex, 1058 Fifth Avenue, Jonesboro, GA.
 

Plain language on the millage rate issue

In approving its 2005-06 Fiscal Year Budget, the Clayton County Board of Education will not be raising the millage rate. However, the district will be holding its rate at the existing 18.916 mills and will not employ a roll back rate. Because of this, the district must hold a series of three public hearings to offer county residents an opportunity to comment.

The language that is used in the above press release is mandated by Georgia state law and gives the impression that all citizens in Clayton County will experience an increase in their school taxes. It is important that residents understand that the school district is not seeking an increase in the millage rate as assessed to the county’s taxpayers. Should any taxpayer experience an increase in their school taxes, more than likely it is due to the fact that their property’s value has been increased to more properly reflect its market value.

Once again, Clayton County Public Schools is not seeking an actual increase in the millage rate. The school tax rate will remain at the same level it has held for the third consecutive year, 18.916 mills. Clayton County citizens will continue to pay one of the lowest school tax rates in the Metro Atlanta area for quality educational services.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to contact the office of the district’s Chief Financial Officer at 770-473-2789.