Among other news presented during the Auburn City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 19, James Grider, a local retiree, spoke up concerning a recent bill put forth by Rep. Pebblin Warren that would affect a mill increase in conjunction with new school funding.
Grider said he recently completed a phone survey concerning funding for a new high school. Later, he saw that Warren's bill called for a 14 mills increase.
"At nine mills, with what we pay in state taxes, federal taxes and county taxes, that would mean a 16.7 percent increase in my property tax," Grider said. "At 14 mills, that would be over 20 percent of my property tax."
Grider was alarmed by the 14 million increase and asked the council whether bonds were an option considered.
"In previous years, in other places that I've been, when the school or the city needed money, they put out bonds," Grider said.
Charles Duggan, Jr., city manager, said that the bill's terminology made it confusing.
"It's actually a nine mill increase," Duggan said. "For that special school tax, there's already five mills levied, so it takes it to a total of 14. So they're adding the five that are already there plus the nine that are proposed to be voted on by the voters for a total of 14 in that one count."
Duggan also said that bonds would play a part in the bill.
"And approximately $90 to $100 million dollars is anticipated will be borrowed through bonds," Duggan said. "And so bonds will be issued and right now, probably, they'll have a 30 year pay-out period. So it'll be 30 years in the future until they're paid off."
Grider said he was still concerned that he didn't know when the cap would be implemented.
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