By Jason Arndt
Editor
For Randall Consolidated School District residents, they expect to see a mill rate decrease in 2017-18, courtesy of an increase in property values and general growth within the district.
At the annual meeting on Sept. 11, when electors approved the tax levy, revealed a savings of $.32 per $1,000 of property value.
Last year, taxpayers paid $6.59 per $1,000 of property value.
In 2017-18, however, the tax rate is set at $6.27 per $1,000 of property value.
Residents who own a $200,000 home expect to pay $1,254 in 2017-18, a $65 decrease from last year.
The mill rate decrease, according to District Administrator John Gendron, shows the school delivered on its promise to taxpayers who passed the operational referendum.
The non-recurring operational referendum, in its third year, promised residents the mill rate would not exceed $6.61 per $1,000 of property value.
Since then, residents have seen a steady mill rate decrease.
“In an era of rising operational costs and shrinking budgets, it is an accomplishment to reduce the Mill Rate in the district during the three years of the operating referendum,” Gendron states in a news release.
According to projections, property values expect to increase 7.5 percent in 2017-18, the release states.
In 2016-17, the equalized assessed value was around $684 million, but expects a jump of about $51 million.
In relation to growth, the district said about 700 students attend Randall School, and has shown a steady increase the last three years.
Although taxpayers expect to see savings, the total tax levy increased by nearly $98,000, from $4,511,772 in 2016-17 to $4,609,480 for 2017-18.
Of the $4,609,480, $4,559,480 went towards the general fund levy, with the rest applied to the community service levy.
The levy and mill rate, however, will not receive official certification by the school board until state aid and final property tax figures are released in October.