Houston school board approves millage rate

The Houston County school board gave unanimous approval to its millage rate at a called meeting Tuesday.

The millage rate, given tentative approval July 8, will remain unchanged from last year’s rate, at 13.34 mills. Millage rates help determine the amount of property taxes that are owed.

The school board vote reflected an effort to make the best decision possible for the county, board Vice Chairman Toby Hill said. If not for the recession and state budget cuts, the school system might have been able to consider a tax reduction for local property owners, he said.

“All of us recognize that when dealing with issues like millage and revenue in this day and age, we have to strike a balance between the health of the school system and fiscal responsibility as far as taxpayers are concerned,” Hill said.

The last time the millage rate was increased was in 2009, with a .87-mill increase from the 12.47 mill rate in 2008.