CENTRAL - Residents in Central are asking for more communication from the school board after an effort to roll forward two millages, which would increase property taxes. 

Back in May, residents voted against a tax renewal that had been in place since 2009. 

"Communication is key to everything. Central will provide and will support, but in return, their voice needs to be strong," Central resident Susan Smith said.

Residents had the opportunity to speak about a proposal that would increase their taxes going toward the Central School System.

Superintendent Jason Fountain says back in 2024, the tax assessor's office reassessed property values and set the current millage rates.

He says that before the reassessment, the operating and constitutional millages were higher than what they are now. An item on the agenda would have rolled the millages back to the prior rate approved by voters.

"I want to know, first of all, what's happened since the last assessment to determine that this money is actually needed?"

The current operating tax rate is 29.18; if approved by the board, it would have rolled to 32.52.

The current constitutional tax rate is 3.51, which would've rolled forward to 3.91.

It's something many residents say people just can't afford.

"I'm looking at my next-door neighbor, who is on disability, on social security, and then all of a sudden they get hit with another cost. They can't afford that," another Central resident said.

Others say the tax rate increase is not something that can be avoided, saying the cost for the school system is going up, and they have to have the funds to keep things running.

"There will be a point where you have to roll forward the millages. That's just unavoidable. I mean, costs are never going to go down," one resident said.

School Board member Michael Hooper says the millage rate can remain the same if they stay careful.

"I really feel like we could get by with not rolling forward our operating budget with a goal of having a larger surplus to help pay for facility improvements," he said.

Hooper says right now, they are not planning to go back to the public for a renewal of a bond, but he says at some point, they may have to look at doing that.

A motion was not made to roll the millages forward, so no vote was necessary.

Central Superintendent Jason Fountain says the millages remaining the same will not have an immediate impact on the school system. But the district will go back and look at its expenses closely.