OHIO —Thanks to the dozens of wind turbines that have gone up around Ohio, the grade school and high school are looking forward to bringing their tax rates down.
Ohio’s tax rates have been high. Last year the combined rate for the grade and high school districts was 7.6806, but in anticipation of receiving more wind farm tax dollars next year, that’s going to change.
“This year the proposed (combined) rate will be approximately 5.9,” said Sharon Sweger, superintendent of both districts.
The rate at the grade school will drop from 3.6486 to about 3, while the rate at the high school will fall from 4.032 to about 2.9, Sweger said.
“That will make our rate similar to surrounding districts,” Sweger said.
Big Sky has substantially increased property values around Ohio, Sweger said, almost doubling the districts’ equalized assessed valuation.
The schools have been waiting for this a long time and had long planned to lower their tax rates once those new tax dollars started coming in.
“Both boards were committed,” Sweger said.
As the districts’ local income grows, they will lose some state aid, she said. However, since local dollars have become more dependable in this economy, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.“We can count on local money coming in. The state hasn’t been as reliable,” Sweger said.The Ohio districts received a very small payment this year from some of the turbines for one month, but they should see their first big sum of wind farm money this summer, Sweger said.
Both boards held hearings this week before approving their final levy extensions. At the high school, the board approved the levy extension of $1,059,775, up from $619,959 last year. The grade school board approved its levy extension at $1,062,411, up from $542,580 last year.
“Trying to capture that wind turbine money, obviously those numbers went up,” Sweger said.

http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/nci/default.asp?article=31366&aname=Turbines+up%2C+taxes+down+in+Ohio