While some Montgomery County residents will see an increase in what they are required to pay for school funding, others will see a decrease. It will all depend on where they live in the county.
According to Tony Green, budget specialist for North Central Planning and Development District, all Montgomery County residents will be assessed 45 mills to fund the new Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District. However, taxpayers living in the former Montgomery County School District will see an increase of 5.52 mills over last year’s school tax levy. Those living in the former Winona Separate School District will be assessed the same millage rate as every other county resident, but may actually pay less school taxes than last year, Green said.
Montgomery County Chancery Clerk Ryan Wood estimated that those paying county taxes on a home with an assessed value of $100,000, a 5.52 mill increase an approximate increase of $55.20 each year on their tax bill.
Last year, those living in the Montgomery County School District were levied 39 mills from the county to fund the school district. Those living in the Winona Separate School District were levied 50.6 mills by the City of Winona. However, the value of a mill is different if it is assessed by the county than if it is assessed by the city.
Amanda Gray, business manager for Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District, said this year’s ad valorem tax request is less than $10,000 more than last year. The revenue request was determined by adding together ad valorem school funding from both the Montgomery County School District and the Winona Separate School District. That total, $2,640,314, was rounded to $2,650,000, the amount requested from the county in ad valorem school funding this year.
“We rounded up to the nearest $10,000,” Gray said.
Taxpayers living inside the former Winona Separate School District will also be assessed 2.7 mills which will be used for the debt retirement of a note used to renovate the high school auditorium and parking lot, and make other capital improvements. The repayment of that debt will not be assessed to those making up the former Montgomery County School District.
The millage increase to fund the county’s public schools is the only millage increase proposed in the fiscal year 2019 budget for Montgomery County.
Green explained that the county’s value only saw a slight bump this year, going from $67,364,712 last year to $68,010,956 this year, an increase of $646,244. The value of one mill increased $593, going from $58,530 to $59,124.
As for the county’s proposed budget, with the exception of the school district budget, things will look very similar to last year’s budget. According to Green, because the county’s value changed very little compared to last year, budget requests from department heads stayed level with last year.
“There was an increase in health insurance by 35 percent,” Green said. “And there was an increase for IT services.”
Green said when comparing budget requests versus revenue, there is a projected $1,608 shortfall that will be covered by the county’s cash reserves.
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors are set to vote on the proposed budget next month. A public hearing is set for September 10, 2018, at 8 a.m. at the Montgomery County Courthouse.
