When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
The 2012-2013 budget adopted by the Calhoun City Board of Education and the Mayor and Council requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Mayor and Council of the City of Calhoun set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
The 2012-2013 budget continues the system’s emphasis on Excellence in Academics, Arts, and Athletics. Since the 2008-2009 school year, the school system has endured cuts to personnel and programs due to reductions in state funding and a reduced local property tax digest. With increased accountability and class sizes, the school system can no longer continue to make major cuts and sustain a system that meets the needs of our students and community.
Calhoun City Increases
The City of Calhoun announced its intention to increase the property taxes it will levy this year by 7.902 percent over the rollback millage rate.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
The 2012-2013 budget adopted by the City of Calhoun requires that a millage rate higher that the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Mayor and Council of the City of Calhoun, Georgia set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on these tax increase to be held at the Depot Community Room, 109 South King Street on September 10, 2012 at 11:30 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. There will also be a third public hearing at the Depot Community Room, 109 South King Street, on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.
Any time this facility would be open, there would be a need for two employees: 1 male, 1 female. Even if there were only two swimmers in the whole joint, you would need a male and a female to check and monitor dressing rooms. Would this be open to the public? The school system would be responsible for any unseemly behavior on the part of "swimmers" even if something happened outside the water, as in a corridor or dressing room. Lawsuit waiting to happen and the school system has had at least one of those already this year.
Several colleges I know of have closed their natatoriums due to cost to maintain. It is a very fun idea, but in reality, it will be a money pit. It would need to to cleaned everyday, which would be a huge job, so add a third employee. Someone who knows about pools and how to balance the water, usually a professional, not a layman, would be needed, so add a thousand or so per month for special services.
If there are a lot of people in and out, showers and changing areas will need cleaning constantly. Who is going to do that or are we just gonna hope our kids don't pick up athlete's foot, ringworm, or some other gross fungus. You know how kids are..one gets a stomach bug, they all get it. A couple of years back a lot of our athletes caught some kind of skin thing..scabies, was it? I cannot see that this is a good idea. Kids choosing to swim together is one thing. Kids being forced to swim together is another. Many folks don't put their kids in public pools and for good reason. Just today, in Twin Falls, there is an outbreak of cryptosporidium: "As a result, the South Central Public Health District is asking the public to take precautions to prevent the spread of cryptosporidiosis, a parasite that can spread through swimming pools and other recreational water." And regular swimming pool treatment does not kill this gross parasite.
I don't want my tax dollars to be spent for this indoor swimming pool. No way it will ever pay for itself. That is just someone talking trying to sell this idea. The rec is right down the road and they have always graciously shared their facilities with the school system. We don't have the money for it and we don't need to go into even debt. City Council and School Board, reconsider allowing this to happen.
property values. If the number is negative; then the value decreased. That is not the case, So I don’t know what you are smoking.
@ goodwife- we did not have an increase in the city last year?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
Perhaps you've heard that?
educatedcitizen - There are teacher’s unions in Georgia. Recant now or be confirmed as an ideologue that doesn’t know what they’re talking about!
while doing some searches on teachers’ unions in GA, I accidently ran across several of your comments on education from the Calhoun Times online edition of April 23, 2010. It doesn’t take much to set off your “hot button” does it? I thought you were just being sarcastic with me, but I see from your comments that you don’t have any tolerance for anyone else’s point of view but your own. I could tell after reading these comments and noticing the sources that you link to, such as an article on CNN, that you or someone close to you is a government employee, maybe even a teacher at a government school, and that you probably think that America is great because of our government. How miserable you must be. You radiate unhappiness.
I hope someone will tell me about “The Georgia Association of Educators” and the NEA in GA and all of the groups that they are associated with. Sound like a unions to me. If it walks like a duck…..
Alas, the Golden Rule has been around far longer than Christianity. Odds are it got around to the Jews before Jeebus. It also makes good sense from a socialist perspective.
As to Pastafarianism, probably not. No noodles involved (or creationists.)
I'm ready for the backlash, but when telling me how foolish I must be in my opinion; please include some examples of the first (1 room schools) 'sports/arts programs.' Or reference laws that state that Public Education must include a plethora of available sports and arts.
Oldman,
I'm glad to hear your assessments continue to decrease. It must be nice! Not a single one of mine went down, nor did anyone else's that I have spoken to. So...no drop in assessed value = no need for increased millage. But I guess those of us whose values didn't drop are expected to cover the tab for the lucky few (in the "know") whose did??
If the digest can't grow, pay and benifits should not or you can just raise property taxes because you can.
Bottom line it is not as simple as digest does not grow, services can't.
You have to factor in a 40% reduction in state and federal revenue. The boys in Atlanta will happily cut your taxes, but they continue to pass mandates that must be funded and let you pay them locally. How kind. I know we will never agree and that is OK. I respect your opinion and the way you deliver it.
What will happen when they max out to 20 mils ?
They will simply raise the max.
More training money. Less money for insurance.
Any proof your fire insurance rates decreased?
Didn't think so.
And you'd better believe I'll be voicing my opinion at the meeting.
What happened here, Calhoun?
New industry gets exempt from taxes for 10 years.
Its just friends helping friends.
Well there you are. You get both taxes.
So who will belive them next time ?
Superintendent Taylor got hers, Calhoun. You just get to express an opinion on the tax increase.
City education has just an incredible amount of waste going on. It's time for a a sweat-the-small-stuff approach.
I'll remember next election. Count on it.