The Clarke County Board of Education gave tentative approval to a fiscal year 2023 budget of $189,130,354 on May 12, 2022, based on the proposed reduction of the millage rate to 18.8 mills. As required by state law, the school board will conduct three public hearings, starting next week, due to the school district’s proposed millage rate being higher than the “rollback” rate — the rate that would be used to produce the same amount of taxes collected in FY2022.

There is an expected increase of 10.08% for property taxes levied in 2022, and while the millage rate for the school district is to be reduced tentatively to 18.8 mills, this estimate would in effect increase overall collection by 1.722 mills. All public presentations and hearings will be held in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall of the district administrative building, located at 595 Prince Ave., Athens. Anyone who wishes to speak may contact Lisa Palmer, executive assistant to the superintendent and board manager, at [email protected] in advance, or sign up at the door before the meeting begins.

The meeting schedule for the budget hearings and millage rate hearings is as follows: ● 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19 — Budget Presentation and Millage Rate Hearing ● 6 p.m. Monday, May 23 — Budget Presentation and Millage Rate Hearing ● 5 p.m. Thursday, June 2 — Millage Rate Hearing

Each year, the assessed value for taxable property in Athens-Clarke County is recalculated, and the Board of Tax Assessors is required by law to reassess values based on fair market value. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $300,000 is approximately $189.42, and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $375,000 is approximately $258.30. The board is scheduled to give final approval to the proposed budget and millage rate at its regularly-scheduled meeting on June 2, 2022, at 6 p.m. in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall.