Lisa Stratton, at podium, challenges the Bartow County Board of Education's plans to leave the millage rate unchanged during a July 20 public hearing. Cody Isbell, at podium, expresses his displeasure with the Bartow County Board of Education's plans to leave the millage rate unchanged. He spoke during a July 20 public hearing. Bartow County School System held the first public hearing on a proposed tax increase on July 20, and the community members who spoke were not pleased. The millage levy is remaining the same, at 17.18. However, state law requires this be advertised as a tax increase because the state measures change against the rollback rate, which is calculated by subtracting increases in the digest due to reassessment. The law requires the district to hold three public hearings before it formally adopts a new millage rate, and the first of those was July 20, immediately before the Bartow County Board of Education’s regular monthly meeting. All of that night’s speakers opposed the proposed increase. “I think raising taxes would be horrendous,” Isbell said. “You’re taxing us out of our houses. I was lucky enough to be given a house, and I’m being taxed out of it. It shouldn’t be done. I understand you need stuff for schools. "… I have plenty of friends who would love to be here, but can’t, because they’re still at work, and they’ve lived here their entire life and plan on moving out of the county because of the taxes. … If you keep raising taxes, the people who have…
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