The good news for residents of Elkhorn Area School District is that their tax bills will likely shrink this year.
It comes after the district set its 2022-23 levy at the Oct. 24 board meeting at the amount of $21.782 million – an increase of $1.406 million across the general fund, debt service and community service.
However, because equalized property valuation came in at 11.72%, the final mill rate for the district is dropping 4.31%, or 35 cents less per $1,000 of property value.
Breaking that down into some estimated property values:
• A property valued at $175,000 will see a $60.75 drop;
• A property valued at $200,000 will see a $69.43 drop; and
• A property valued at $300,000 will see a $104.14 drop.
Those numbers are estimated for equalized value on the EASD portion of the tax bill only.
Trewyn said there was little discussion at the Oct. 24 meeting, in large part due to the numerous discussions about the budget.
“I think the reason for that is we’re talking about the budget and the impact throughout the budget process,” Trewyn said. “Although there are pieces of the budget we don’t have until the very end.”
Trewyn said, as usual, the district was waiting on the final student count for the year as well as the state equalized aid. With those numbers – and what Trewyn said were about five or six meetings to discuss the budget – the board was ready to act Oct. 24.
“They’re in a position to make a good, informed decision,” Trewyn explained.
Trewyn added one more thing about the budget. More than half of the $1.087 million increase is compensation for the drop in state aid.
The rest, he said, is inflation on items like utilities and gas costs.
“That’s impacting all of us,” Trewyn said. “We try to anticipate (and plan ahead).”
Wages were an increase of 4% and health insurance an increase of 10% as well.
