District may cut preliminary rate, but can’t increase it

The Austin School Board on Monday set its preliminary levy, payable in 2018, that will have a 2.04 percent increase over last year.

The increase — the maximum allowed by the state — is expected to be $135,566. The total levy would be $6,781,472, up from $6,645,906 a year ago.

The levy will be finalized in December following Truth in Taxation public hearings.

Before the final adoption, board members may decrease the levy, but not increase it.

The totals include the district’s general levy, as well as the community service levy and general debt service levy.

According to Executive Director of Finance and Operations Mark Stotts, the increase has largely to do with the long-term facilities maintenance levy, included in the general levy, which increased this year by $187,827.

However, unlike cities and counties who also set their levies, “you as board members have little control” over the levies whose formulas are set by the Minnesota Legislature.

The local levy is just a small part of the $64 million budget, whose vast majority of funding comes to the district in state aid.