When the Greenwood Public School District presents its new budget to the public next Tuesday, an increase in the amount of ad valorem taxes used to finance the schools will be part of that budget.
All citizens of the district are invited to attend the hearing, which will begin at 5 p.m. at the district office, 401 Howard St.
Public notices from the school district indicate that increase could possibly lead to a millage rate increase, but Leflore County Tax Assessor Leroy Ware said that remains unclear at the moment.
“If values had remained the same (this year), it would definitely result in an increase in millage rate,” Ware said. “But property values went up, so that’s going to generate more money.”
Once the school budget has been presented and approved, City Clerk Nick Joseph will have to crunch the numbers to see if the increase represents an increase in the millage rate.
“Once (the school district) approves its budget and the Board of Supervisors finalize the determination of assessed values in their August meeting, Mr. Joseph will get final figures,” Ware said. The result could be no increase in the millage rate or an increase.
GPSD’s current millage rate is 53.63. It was at 49.50 in 2010, then was raised in fiscal years 2011, 2014 and 2016. A mill is one-tenth of one cent.
The budget GPSD will present to the public will show an overall lower total estimated revenue from $25,418,393 to $22,972,570, a decrease from last fiscal year of $2.44 million.
The precentage of that total budget obtained through ad valorem taxes, however, will increase from 22 percent to 25 percent, or $222,000.
Presumably the district expects cuts from the state, as the Leflore County School District did earlier in the summer when its proposed budget demanded a higher percentage of funding from local taxes.
Ad valorem taxes are paid on homes, automobile tags, business fixtures and equipment and rental real property.
This will be the first budget presented by Dr. Jennifer Wilson, the new Greenwood superintendent.
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
