Category Archives: Finances

Anchorman And The Goat – It's Not About The Lack Money

Posted on June 26, 2014 by | Comments Off on Anchorman And The Goat – It's Not About The Lack Money

While the last ranked man graduating from the Naval Academy is known as “The Anchorman”, graduating at the bottom of the Marine Academy earns the distinction of “The Goat” (named aptly after the Naval Academy’s mascot). School district level FY2014 CRCT scores were released by the DOE yesterday and Atlanta Public Schools (APS) average scores are second from the bottom in every grade level.
DeKalb Schools and APS, however, receive top honors when it comes to the millage rate.

Millage Rate
DeKalb 23.98
APS 21.640
Decatur City 20.9
Clayton 20
Gwinnett 19.25
Cobb 18.9
Marietta City 18.682
Fulton 18.502
Decatur County 15.99

DeKalb Schools and APS have the highest millage rate and lowest CRCT scores in the metro Atlanta area. It’s obviously not about the lack of money.  If DeKalb Schools is The Anchorman, APS is surely The Goat.

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Posted in Finances, Standardized Testing

Property Taxes Increasing In DeKalb

Posted on June 18, 2014 by | 1 comment

You’ll be happy to know the safe that just landed on your head is just 13.1% heavier than it was last year.

Property Taxes

DeKalb Schools is planning on keeping its 23.98 millage rate and will remain the 2nd highest millage rate in the state.  On average, DeKalb residents in cities can expect a 13.1% increase in their property taxes due to rising property values. Countywide growth in taxable property values is 5.9%.

Millage Rate
Millage rate is the rate at which property taxes are levied on property. A mill is 1/1000 of a dollar. Property taxes are computed by multiplying the taxable value of the property by the number of mills levied. The taxable value of the property can be found on the property tax statement or by contacting the DeKalb County office.
Local Taxation for Education
DeKalb Schools’ millage rate is arguably above the legal limit.  Art. VIII – Sec VI of the Georgia Constitution says, the “school system shall annually certify to its fiscal authority or authorities a school tax not greater than 20 mills per dollar for the support and maintenance of education.” State Senator Fran Millar mentioned a few years back that he considered introducing legislation to roll back DeKalb’s millage cap that was raised to 25 mills years ago when the county ran DeKalb College. The school later became Georgia Perimeter College and was taken over by the state.  There’s nothing quite as permanent as a temporary tax or interim superintendent.  Fran Millar is running for reelection this year and would love to hear your thoughts on said legislation.
Taxpayer Bill of Rights
One purpose of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is to prevent indirect tax increases resulting from increases to existing property values in a county due to inflation. The school district must notify the public that taxes are being increased if they do not roll back the millage rate each year to offset any inflationary increases in the digest.
Millage Rate Hearing
DeKalb Schools’ 1st millage rate hearing will be June 25th. The 2nd and 3rd millage rate hearing as well as the adoption of the tax levy will be on July 7th at the board work session and business meetings.

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Posted in Finances