An error in calculating Fayette County's 2004 tax digest has allowed

the Board of Education to restore $350,000 in cuts previously ordered to

the current year budget, and lower the tax rate charged to homeowners ever

so slightly from last year as well.

The gross taxable digest increased by more than $61 million, which forced

the school board and the city councils in Fayetteville, Tyrone, Peachtree

City and Brooks to restate their tax rates for the coming year.

In a called meeting Tuesday night, board members first voted 4-1 to rescind

the earlier operations millage rate of 19.19 approved in August. Board member

Greg Powers opposed the change, apparently on principle.

Then, board members accepted a recommendation from outgoing Finance Director

James Stephens to reset the operations millage at 18.99 mills and the bond

millage for new construction at 3.687 mills, for a total of 22.677 mills.

That's down by a fraction of last year's taxable rate of 22.694

mills.

Homeowners will likely still pay a little more in school taxes this year

because of increase in the estimated value of property, however.

The school board will hold new public hearings, as required by law, on the

tax rate change on Tuesday at noon and 7 p.m. and Sept. 23 at 8:30 a.m.

The change means tax bills will be slightly delayed going out, by Oct. 1,

which means the deadline for tax collections will be pushed