Columbus residents will see a flat millage rate in Fiscal Year 2021, following a 5-0 vote from the City Council during a special-call meeting Tuesday night. Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens was absent.
The city’s millage rate will hold at 51.24 mills, which, according to Lowndes County Tax Assessor Greg Andrews’ estimate, could generate $9.8 million in revenue. Of those mills, the city will dedicate 37.22 mills to pay for general revenue, operations and maintenance, 5.82 mills for disability relief funds for firefighters and police officers and 8.2 mills to pay toward its General Obligation bond debts.
The Columbus Municipal School District’s rate will be 61.98 mills, which represents no change from this fiscal year. The mills would bring roughly $13.3 million, according to the city’s estimate. The district will dedicate 50.25 mills toward operations and maintenance, 10.16 mills toward payment on bond debts for the construction of Columbus High School and Columbus Middle School, and 1.57 mills toward the debt on the construction of Stokes-Beard Elementary School, the city’s Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong told The Dispatch.
The council will discuss and approve the proposed FY 2021 budget at 5 p.m. on Sept. 15. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and a projected 11-percent drop in sales tax revenue, the city is proposing a smaller budget for Fiscal Year 2021, with an estimated $22.95 million in revenue and $$22.94 million in spending, The Dispatch reported.
Yue Stella Yu was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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