The gobbledygook continues.

Members of the Fayette County

Board of Education heard Monday night that because the five-year tax history

and digest information advertised recently is incorrect, they must meet

Thursday to re-set a tentative millage rate. And, according to BOE comptroller

Jim Stephens, they will have an opportunity to lower the millage rate

again.

Stephens reported to the board

that Fayette County Tax Commissioner George Wingo let him know on Monday

that calculations of the county's digest were inaccurate as a result of

transitioning between a manual and computerized reporting system. The

bottom line is that the millage rate set last week by the board should

generate $500,000 more than originally anticipated.

Stephens will present the board

with the option of lowering the millage rate to reflect these unexpected

revenues, which are roughly the equivalent of .16 mills, or leaving the

rate at 21.694 mills.

If the board chooses to lower

the rate, added to the previous decrease of .089 mills, the new millage

rate would be about a quarter of a mill lower than last year.

The savings for a person owning

a $200,000 home would be about $20.

Last week, the millage rate

set by the board, though a decrease, was expected to raise $6.2 million

more in tax revenues than the previous year's rate because of a 9% growth

in the county's tax digest.

Stephens pointed out to the

board Monday that the Fayette County School System has become quite large,

with operating expenses hovering around $12 million per month.

BOE members will meet in open

session Thursday at noon to reconsider the millage rate and set dates

for hearings for public input on their decision.

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