News

School board approves proposed levy rates

The Morgan County School Board has adopted the same regular state school levy and special levy rates for Fiscal Year 2019 that they approved for the last four fiscal years.

The school board took the action at a March 22 special meeting at Pleasant View Elementary at 6:30 p.m.

Tax rates

The proposed special levy or excess levy tax rates that were approved are:

Class I properties—16.08 cents per $100 of assessed value; Class II—32.16 cents; and Class III and Class IV—64.32 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Owner-occupied homes in Morgan County are considered Class II properties.

School regular levy or current expense levy tax rates set by the state that were also approved that evening are:

Class I—19.40 per $100 of assessed value; Class II—38.80 cents; and Class III and Class IV—77.60 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Class I properties, which are personal property used in agriculture, are totally exempt from taxation. Class II properties are owner-occupied residential and farmland properties.

Class III properties are commercial and all other properties located outside of municipalities.

Class IV properties are commercial and all other properties inside of municipalities.

Special levy

For a home appraised at $200,000 with an assessed value rate of 60% or $120,000, the special levy tax would remain at $385.92 with the proposed levy rates—the same amount it has been for the last four years.

The special levy payment is in addition to regular state school levy taxes, county taxes and also municipal taxes that would be applicable if a homeowner resides within the Town of Bath or the Town of Paw Paw.

Projected revenue down

The projected net tax revenue to be collected for Fiscal Year 2019 through special levy taxes is

$4,123,432, some $23,866 less than last year’s projected $4,147,298.

Projected revenue from the state regular school levy for Fiscal Year 2019 is $4,875,293— $28,219 less than last year’s projection of $4,903,512.

Projected revenue is minus allowances for uncollectables, exonerations, delinquencies and discounts.

The total projected revenue from the combined regular school and special levies is $8,998,725, some $52,085 less than last year’s projected revenue of $9,050,810.

Assessed values drop

Total county assessed values   for Class II, III and IV properties are $1,024,926,285 for Fiscal Year 2019, which fell by $5,728,109 from Fiscal Year 2018, said School Treasurer Ann Bell.

Total assessed values for Class II properties are down $3,484,646 from last year.

Class III properties dropped $4,615,272 from last year and Class IV properties rose by $2,371,809.

Levy, budget process

Bell said that the schedule of proposed levy rates is being sent to the West Virginia State Auditor’s office and to the West Virginia Department of Education for approval. The levy rates will also be published for two weeks as required by the state. The proposed levy rates are in today’s Morgan Messenger edition and will also be published in the April 4 edition.

The March 22 special meeting was adjourned following approval of the proposed levy rates. The meeting will be reconvened at a special April 17 school board meeting for formal approval of the official levy rates. The reconvened meeting will follow the regular April 17 board meeting which will take place at 7 p.m. at the school board office.

A school board budget workshop will be held at the Tuesday, May 1 regular meeting that’s scheduled for 7 p.m. at the board office.

A budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22 for 7 p.m. with the budget adoption set for later in the meeting.

 

 

 

 

Facebook

Weather

BERKELEY SPRINGS WEATHER