Berkeley county school board meets to discuss possible tax increase

The Berkeley County School Board held a workshop to discuss changing the millage rate, which could increase taxes for second home and business owners.  The county is re-assessing property values, a process that takes place every five years.
   
The majority of funding for public schools comes from sales taxes.  The amount of money they receive from property taxes, comes from second homes and businesses.  Superintendent Dr. Anthony Parker says, “This is not a decision that the board of education has made to reassess property,  but we have to respond to it, because our funding is tied to the reassessment.“  He says, “You look at the values of the properties, and most cases historically, the values of the property is going to go up, and when they go up, tax rates staying the same, there would be an increase in taxes. What we’re charged with doing is looking at what that increase would be in reassessment, and look at a rollback on the millage rate, as far as our responsibility within the school system.“

Millage rates are determined by the school board.  Currently Berkeley county has a tax rate of 192 mills.  Dr. Parker says, “Everything is dependent on what the millage rate would be.  Looking at millage rate being where it is right now, that number is going to be in the range of 4 to 5 million dollars.“  As to who will be impacted?  Dr. Parker says, “To the homeowners, it’s not going to mean anything.  To the businesses, small business and large business, that’s where the impact would be.“

The district lost 12-million-dollars in state funding last year, and they expect to lose another 2 million this year.  Dr. Parker says, “We’re one of 23 school systems that has the authority to set our tax rate or millage.  The board of education is involved in setting that millage based on the needs of the district to educate the children.“  Dr. Parker says the amount of money the district could possibly get from changing the milleage could go down, because tax payers can appeal reassessment.

The Berkeley County School Board may vote on changing the millage rate based on reassessment at the next school board meeting.