The total tax rate includes a maintenance and operations rate of $0.9889 per $100 valuation and a debt services rate of $0.35 per $100 valuation.
Because the district will bring in more revenue through taxes this year than it did in the previous year, board President Martina Dixon was required to say during the public hearing that the new tax rate effectively represents a 2.8% increase over last year’s rate.
However, Position 2 trustee Robert Scarfo stressed at the meeting that this year’s rate is lower than last fiscal year’s rate.
“Take a deeper look, because your effective rate is going to be lower than it was last year,” Scarfo said, noting last year’s rate of $1.3840 per $100 valuation.
The average market value for houses within the district rose by roughly $15,500 year-over-year, meaning the district will take in an average of roughly $99 more in taxes per household. Due to varying property values, however, some homeowners might not see an increase in taxes owed.
In June, trustees approved a $549.6 million budget for FY 2021-22 that included a 3% average raise for all employees, a $1,400 retention stipend added to base pay for teachers, a $1,000 stipend for other staff and a raised minimum hourly wage for full-time auxiliary staff members to $11.50.
