Decatur’s school board formally agreed this week to ask city commissioners to put a $75 million General Obligation Bond on the November ballot, to be paid over 25 years. Even with the bond there’s a good chance City Schools Decatur will lower its millage rate from 20.5 to 19.5 next year (it was 20.9 for three years prior to this year).
CSD Director of Finance Susan Hurst said the city’s overall tax digest has gone up 19 percent, nearly doubling last year’s 10 percent increase. The unexpected surge, Hurst said, comes from the city’s re-evaluation of property values. Given the digest increase, Hurst said, not only will the millage get lowered, but most school employees will get a 2 percent cost of living adjustment (instead of 1 percent) along with an average step increase of 2.5 percent.
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