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School board OKs budget, higher tax rate

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By RONNIE BLAIR

rblair@tampatrib.com

Published: July 29, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - The Pasco County School Board gave initial approval Tuesday evening to a budget of nearly $1.2 billion for 2009-10.

The board also gave tentative approval to a tax rate of $7.34 per $1,000 of taxable property value. That rate is up from the current $7.21.

The votes on the budget and tax rate came at the end of a short public hearing.

A second and final public hearing on the budget and tax rate is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 15.

Even though school boards approve their tax rates, they have minimal say in the amount, which is largely determined in Tallahassee.

This year, the Legislature gave school boards authority to add an extra 25 cents to the tax rate, which would have upped tax bills $25 for every $100,000 of property value. Pasco board members voted last week to advertise a tax rate that did not include the 25 cent increase.

The school district's budget is down $70.4 million from last year, a 5.7 percent drop.

The tax base decreased $4.1 billion, bringing it down to $25.4 billion, a nearly 14 percent drop, according to the school district.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 259-7065.

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