Staff report
Covington Independent Public Schools voted 5-0 to lower its property tax rate by 17% at its board meeting this week.
Superintendent Alvin Garrison recommended 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.
Following a public hearing on the property tax rate, the board approved a 17% reduction in the tax rate.
Covington Independent Public Schools,
“The tax rate has not been this low since 2003,’’ Garrison said.
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.
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.
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.’’
