FULTON COUNTY, GA — Fulton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney plans to ask the school board to approve a one-mill increase to the district’s millage rate as the district awaits its latest tax revenues.
Looney told board members he plans to propose increasing the rate from 17.08 mills to 18.08 mills.
“So I’m going to be proposing based on the data that we have today, a one mill increase going from 17.08 to 18.08,” Looney said.
Looney said the district needs additional revenue after relying on its fund balance for several years.
“But at the end of the day, we’ve been living off our fund balance for a number of years and we still have a ways to go in order to have a balanced budget,” Looney said.
The proposed increase comes despite cost-cutting efforts through the district’s GLIDE initiative.
“This year alone, that GLIDE initiative is saving $50 million,” Looney said.
Looney acknowledged that the proposed increase is not something district leaders welcome.
“I intend to propose a millage rate increase which is unwelcome to all of us,” Looney said.
He said the recommendation could change if the district receives new information before a final vote.
“If in between the tentative vote and the final vote, we get additional information that would allow us to not increase the millage or reduce the millage rate increase some, then I certainly will be bringing that to the board for consideration and discussion,” Looney said.
Looney is expected to present the proposed millage rate increase to the school board next week.
WSB Radio’s Michelle Wright contributed to this story.