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Millage increase would pay for Children’s Home

Decatur’s commission approved a tentative 6/10ths millage increase Monday, part of that due to the pending $40 million purchase of the United Methodist Children’s Home.

That equates to about a $1,050,000 increase in tax revenue, which shakes out to an annual $145 per home owner based on a home costing $500,000.

Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold pointed out that this is assuming the DeKalb County tax digest increases five percent over 2016.

The increase in the general fund is 2/10ths of a mill, which comes to about a $350,000 increase in tax revenue.

This will be used to pay for, among others, power, maintenance, utilities, insurance and security at the UMCH.

The other 4/10ths increase is in the debt service fund millage, equating to about $700,000.

This will be used to make the first principal payment on City Schools Decatur’s $75 million general obligation bond, passed by voters in Nov. 2015.