As Catoosa County taxpayers criticize a proposed 30% increase in school taxes, some residents are telling the county commission it has the power to veto the increase — even though the county attorney has said that’s not the case.
In Georgia, the elected school board sets its own taxing rate, Chad Young, county attorney, said at Tuesday’s county commission meeting. Unless the school board attempts to set a millage rate above the limit specified in the Georgia Constitution, he said, the county commission has no authority over the school board’s budget.
At the meeting, Commissioner Vanita Hullander asked Young what would happen if the county commission didn’t approve the school system’s budget. Young said the school board would respond by suing the commission.
“If a majority of the commissioners just refused to approve it,” he said, “then you literally would be airing out dirty laundry between the school system and board of commissioners.”
The school board expects to adopt the fiscal year 2025 budget at 6 p.m. Monday at the board of education’s offices at 307 Cleveland St. in Ringgold.