Coweta County

Commissioner Lawrence Nelms wants to clear up some misunderstandings about

tax collections in the county.

Criticism was

levied at the county for collection of funds from members of the public

at last week's school board meeting. The funds are used to offset costs

involved in the administration and collection of property tax for the

school system. Currently nearly 72 percent of the property taxes collected

go to the school system.

Nelms agreed

with school officials who said the tax commissioner's budget is about

$634,000 per year, but added that you must also include necessary work

performed by the tax assessor's office. That increases the costs involved

in collecting property taxes to approximately $1.5 million, he said.

Nelms said

that Georgia law states that Coweta County shall collect funds from the

school system to assist in the funding of tax administration and collection

unless there is action by state legislation to change general state law

The county

collects approximately $682,000 from the school system to offset the cost

of property tax administration and collection, while the total budgets

for tax administration and collection equals approximately $1.5 million.

The commissioner

said funds collected from the school system only cover approximately 44.6

percent of the costs involved, while the school system receives nearly

72 percent of the property taxes collected.

He also took

exception to statements that the tax burden is falling on the students.

"The school

children are not subsidizing the county budget. This is an annual expense

budgeted by the school board to help cover the costs involved in tax administration

and collection. This is not the only nonteaching expense budgeted annually

Since the same

taxpayers pay both county and school taxes, there would be no tax savings

if these funds were not collected from the school system, because the

costs involved still have to be paid, he added.

"If the

funds were not collected from the school system, then Coweta County would

have to increase its millage enough to pay the entire cost for tax administration

and collection," he said.

"That

increase would be approximately four tenths of a mill," he added.

"If the school system did not then roll back its millage rate, taxpayers

would actually face a tax increase to pay for the same costs of collecting

property tax, all in the name of saving the taxpayer money," he said.

Nelms also

pointed out that if the school system actually covered 72 percent of the

cost of tax administration and collection, which would match the amount

of tax the system receives, the cost would be approximately $1.1 million,

not the $682,000 currently paid.

For his part,

Superintendent of Education Richard Brooks said neighboring Fayette County

does not charge for collecting the taxes, but he said the state does allow

for the counties to charge the school system.