Oconee County committee presses school district to consider using reserves so taxpayers avoid a new millage

Members of the Oconee County Budget, Finance and Administration Committee pressed the school district on April 29 to consider using part of its large fund balance and to discuss reducing planned capital borrowing so the county could return a 1.4-mill transfer made last year rather than impose a tax increase.

The committee chair and several members told school officials they were concerned the district’s roughly $37,000,000 fund balance — described in the meeting as “over 27% of [the district’s] operating budget” — reduced the case for passing a millage increase on county taxpayers. The committee asked district leaders to take a proposal to the school board to borrow about $1 million less in capital this year and report back to county officials after the board’s May meeting.

School district representatives said the district develops a dollar-based budget request and does not control the millage the county sets. “We bring that dollar figure, and then…