Bay County School Board adopts tentative millage of 5.337 mills and $648.48 million tentative budget

The Bay County School Board on July 31 adopted a proposed millage rate of 5.337 mills and a tentative district budget of $648,478,799.90, following required public notice and a hearing. The proposed millage exceeds the statutory rollback rate by 0.99 percent, the district’s finance staff said.

Jim Stewart, the district finance presenter for the workshop, explained the millage breakdown: 3.089 mills as the required local effort, 0.748 mills as basic discretionary operating millage, and 1.50 mills for capital outlay (local capital improvement). Stewart said the rollback rate — the rate that would generate the same revenue as the prior year after adjusting for new construction — was 5.2845 mills and that the proposed levy of 5.337 mills is 0.99% above that figure.

The board reviewed the tentative budget’s high-level composition: a $344 million general fund (approximately…