If City Schools Decatur’s $75 million general obligation bond is passed by voters Tuesday, residential taxes will increase by 2.7 mills according to data provided the system’s central office. This is contrary to statements from several candidates, and a representative of the pro-bond group “Citizens for Decatur Kids,” who’ve claimed in recent forums any tax increase would be a “wash.”
The school board lowered the school millage to 18.66 mills earlier this year, and has lowered it by 2.24 mills over the last two years. But the city’s tax digest has also increased during that period, jumping by12 percent in 2014-15 and by 20 percent this year.
With the dramatic increase in home assessments, the lower school millage will not be enough to prevent taxes from increasing overall. According to Susan Hurst, CSD’s Director of Finance, here’s what residents can expect to pay:
If you own a $200,000 home you’ll pay $270 more in school taxes per year; if you own a $400,000 home you pay $540, if $600,000 the increase is $810 and on an $800,000 home it’s an additional $1,080.
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