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Earlier this week, at the Troup County School Board work session, the board  discussed plans to certify the school system’s estimated rollback millage rate.

Certifying an estimated rollback millage rate is a new requirement of Georgia House Bill 92, which has caused much confusion among municipalities and other entities that collect property tax. For some, like the City of LaGrange, which collects no property taxes, the move was easy setting it at zero on Tuesday. For others, like the county and school system, there was more confusion because the state has issued little to no guidance on how they should do it.

The move is required so that the tax office can send out notices to property owners to get an idea of what their tax bills might be, but the notices are sent out long before the millage rate is officially finalized. It’s just an estimated roll back rate based on the preliminary tax digest.

“This is based on what the tax office sends to us. What they’re asking is that the board take a look at it, and sort of say, what the millage rate will be, and not to be confused with board’s recommendation of a millage rate, nor is it a current millage rate [at 17.35 mills],” School Superintendent Dr. Rachel Hazel said.

Dr. Hazel recommended that the board certify the estimated rollback millage rate of 16.436 mills for the upcoming fiscal year.

While the state requires that the board certifies an estimated rollback millage rate, it is not final.

Hazel explained that the current intention is to not increase the millage rate, but they still do not have state funding numbers in. The millage rate would likely need to change if there were drastic state austerity cuts, she said.