No outcry from public about taxes

Two public hearings down and one to go for Grady County Commissioners.
The county hosted two hearings Tuesday and no one spoke out against the proposed tax increase at either hearing.
A third and final hearing is set for Aug. 16 at 6 p.m.
All of the hearings are being held in the County Commission Meeting Room at the Courthouse.
Slight growth in the county’s tax digest of just under $4,000,000 is allowing Grady County Commissioners to propose a modest tax increase for 2016.
Commissioners recently adopted a tentative millage rate of 13.653 mills, up from 13.265 in 2015, or a 3.02 percent increase in ad valorem taxes.
With the tax hike, ad valorem taxes are expected to generate $6,969,019, which is $246,887 more than the county had to spend last year.
Combined with other revenue, including miscellaneous taxes, fines and fees, the county is budgeting total revenue of $12,524,894 to finance its proposed budget of $12,518,858 in 2017.
The Grady County Board of Education will also be hosting three public hearings on a small tax increase being proposed for school taxes.
The first hearing will be held at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9 and the second will be held later that day at 6:30 p.m. prior to a 7 p.m. regular monthly meeting of the board of education. Both hearings will take place at the VanLandingham Center, 203 North Broad St.
A third and final hearing will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 7:30 a.m. prior to a called meeting at 8 a.m. to vote on final adoption of the 2016-2017 budget and millage rate.
The Grady County Board of Education voted last week to hold the school tax rate at 14.2 mills and, even though it technically is a tax hike, the school system is facing a projected $377,969 deficit in its 2016-2017 operating budget.
Because of slight growth of $3,995,624 in the net tax digest, one mill of tax generates more money than it did last year. By leaving the school tax rate at 14.2 mills the system will collect approximately $52,904 more in ad valorem taxes than it did in 2015. This results in a tax increase of less than one percent.
However, leaving the tax rate unchanged also leaves the school system with a projected deficit of $377,969. School officials anticipate making up the deficit with money from the system’s cash reserves.