News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan said he is concerned about the cost of changes to the state’s TISA formula coming due to counties in the next several years.
The state took more of the burden of funding local education with the TISA implementation, but promised counties they would need to be ready to take over some of the expanded costs. Reagan said he would like to see some changes made so that an increase doesn’t happen. Reagan said in preparation for a potential TISA funding increase he is looking at a possible raise in property taxes.
“There is quite a bit of things coming down the pike and everything but you know that would be basically in county government you don’t have a lot of selections when it comes to revenue,” Reagan said. “So that would be one of the things that you would have to look at.”
Reagan said raising property taxes is something he does not want to do right now but the county may have no choice. Currently, the state contributes 70 percent of TISA funding while local governments contribute 30 percent.
Reagan said decreasing funding for the school system is not an option.
“You’ve got to maintain the maintenance of effort for the schools,” Reagan said. “We can’t decrease none of that or anything so that would be something that the budget committee would have to get their heads together and we would have to look at it. Lord be our helper hopefully, the legislature will come up with something on that.”
Reagan said he has not reached out to the legislature to voice the county’s concerns about the potential TISA charge increase. TISA funding is designed to provide public schools with adequate funds to support every child’s educational success.
