The first of three Cobb schools tax digest public hearings takes place this Wednesday.
The hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Cobb County School District Central Office (514 Glover St., Marietta) in the Board of Education meeting room. 
The other hearings take place next Thursday, July 19, at 12 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m., in the same location.
The public hearings are required by Georgia law, since the millage rate is not being reduced, and because property tax revenue will be increasing due to rising assessments.
In May the Cobb school board adopted a $1.2 billion fiscal year 2019 budget that holds the line on a millage rate of 18.9 mills that has been in effect for several years.
Here’s how the CCSD explains what it’s obligated to do, under the Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights law which has been in effect since 2000:
The Cobb County Board of Tax Assessors assesses all county property in compliance with state law. If property is reassessed upward, then the Cobb County School District will see an increase in tax revenue. The additional revenue will be applied toward the higher cost of student instruction due to enrollment growth, and to ease budget constraints caused by reductions in state revenue.
To collect the same revenue as last year and avoid an increase in taxes of 7.48%, the millage rate would have to be decreased to 17.584 mills, defined as the “roll-back” rate described in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
Here are links to Cobb schools budget documents. Most school district employees are receiving a 1.1 percent raise, due to a $10.2 million contribution from the state of Georgia following the end of education austerity cuts.
School board member David Morgan wanted a higher millage rate, as did the Cobb County Association of Educators, to provide a bigger raise.
East Cobb board members David Chastain, David Banks and Scott Sweeney opposed a millage rate increase.
Formal adoption of the millage rate is scheduled at the board’s July 19 business meeting which starts at 7 p.m. and follows the final public hearing.
