Covington Independent Public Schools is expected to lower its property tax rate.
Superintendent Alvin Garrison is recommending a tax rate of 89.5 cents, a reduction of 18.6 cents from last year’s rate of 108.1 cents on real property.
The Covington Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the property tax rate at 5:30 p.m., September 8, at the Board of Education, 25. E. 7th Street.
Covington Independent Public Schools, 25 E. 7th Street
“The tax rate has not been this low since 2003,” Garrison said.
The board is scheduled to vote on the new rate after the public hearing.
The board has been good stewards of taxpayer money, said Annette Burtschy, Covington’s finance director, noting that from 2012 to 2020, the board did not take a tax increase, although it could have taken up to a four percent increase during each of those years.
During the 2021-22 school year, as the needs of the district grew, the board finally took a tax hike.
The new property rate means the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $895 in property taxes.
Even though the board is proposing cutting the tax rate by 17 percent, not all residents will see a decrease, Burtschy cautioned. The amount residents pay is determined by the assessed valuation of their homes.
The district also is proposing to lower its personal property tax rate from 108.3 cents to 100.2 cents.
With a district strategic plan goal of making continuous improvement, Covington will use revenue raised from the property taxes to keep the salaries of Covington teachers and staff on par with other Northern Kentucky districts, update technology and facilities and to address the needs associated with our growing population of English Language Learners.
“We believe we should offer the best for our students, teachers, staff and community,’’ Garrison said. “They definitely deserve it.’’
