Altamont school board approves 10% increase in tax levy

ALTAMONT — The Altamont school board this week voted unanimously to approve a 10% increase in the district’s 2023 tax levy over the previous year.

The district’s decision to levy for a total of $4,663,524 is based on an estimated increase in the district’s equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of about 9% from the previous year’s EAV, which was $105,672,834.

The levy increase is higher than the approximately 6% increases the district requested in 2021 and 2022, but Superintendent Casey Adam reminded board members and the public that increases in district’s tax levy doesn’t necessarily raise property tax rates since the district’s EAV is also expected to increase in the next year.

Prior to the board’s regular meeting Monday, members held a truth-in-taxation hearing, during which members of the public were given the opportunity to ask questions or comment on the proposed levy. Nobody responded.

“The rate increase that we are seeing, and this is consistent throughout the county, is due to the county tax assessor estimating that these values are going up by this percentage,” Adam said during the truth-in-taxation hearing.

“We are just trying to estimate an extra 1% just in case this estimate is low.”

During the board’s previous meeting on Nov. 13, Adam explained that the funds the district is able to capture through property taxes is a “critical” source of revenue, especially during a time when school districts throughout the country are seeing increases in their utility bills, staff wages, food and other costs in recent years.

Adam also noted that other districts in the county are requesting a similar or higher increase in their 2023 tax levies.

“It affects us the same way it affects everyone else,” Adam said. “If we don’t ask for it, we don’t get it.”