School board sets tax levy

COLUMBIA - Property owners in the Columbia school district will pay 2 cents more on their tax levy this year.

The Columbia Board of Education Friday morning increased the levy from $4.71 to $4.73 per $100 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a residential property worth $100,000 would pay $3.80 more in property taxes than last year.

The increase is intended to compensate for a loss of revenue from the 1-cent statewide Proposition C sales tax for schools that was approved by voters in 1982. Half the revenue collected from the Proposition C tax is intended to reduce or roll back property taxes.

The school district's budget for 2008-09 shows 56 percent of revenue coming from local sources, down from 59 percent last year. Property taxes will make up 43 percent of that figure, up from 41 percent in 2007-08. Proposition C revenue will remain constant at 7 percent.

At the end of the meeting Friday morning, Interim Superintendent Jim Ritter thanked the assistant superintendents and all the teachers for the hard work and preparation that led to what he called a smooth start to the academic year.

"The first day of school went well, as well as I can remember it," he said.

Ritter said Thursday marked his 22nd first day of school with Columbia Public Schools.