In for a penny, the Barren County Board of Education has decided not to take the whole “pound” this year.

The board had a public hearing Tuesday night to review a general fund tax levy of 56.5 cents per $100 of assessed value on real property and 56.5 cents per $100 of assessed value on personal property. No member of the public attended the hearing to question the board. That might be because the board voted to approve the increase on Sept. 4.

According to Dr. Jerry Ralston, there was a question by the state as to whether the board followed the timeline on legal notification of the public for the hearing. Barren County ran two separate legal advertisements in the newspaper of record, the Glasgow Daily Times, on Aug. 22 and 25 outlining two different tax increases, one for 55.6 cents for both real and personal property and one for 56.5 cents. That public hearing was advertised for Aug. 28. The board voted for the 56.5 cent increase at the Sept. 4 meeting.

Another legal notification ran on Sept. 18 and 22 for last night’s public hearing about the same increase. When asked why, Ralston said he asked the state if the board needed to vote for the increase again, but was told they just had to have the public hearing even if it was after the fact.

The tax represents a 1-cent increase from 2008 fiscal year’s rate of 55.5 cents for both real and personal property, which produced revenues of $6,524,868.

An additional $464,897 is expected to be generated from the increase. Total revenue generated should be $6,989,766 for real and personal property.

The compensating rate for 2009 is expected to produce $6,791,476 from 54.8 cents on both real and personal property.

The additional revenue will be allocated in the following general areas: cost of collections, $18,595; building fund, $135,469; transportation, $42,770; maintenance of plant, $58,112; and instruction, $209,949.

Ralston said the board had decided not to take the full 4 percent allowed, but to settle on a lower rate. He said goals for the 2009-10 school year include putting together even more significant budget cuts, increasing the contingency fund from 2.2 to 3 percent and providing additional budget funds for the new North Jackson Elementary.

New bids received

In a special meeting following the public hearing, Daryl Wheeler, president of Venture Contracting, reported to the board on a bid package for site and impervious paving for North Jackson Elementary.

The board budgeted $125,000 for the work and Wheeler said three bids were received in the amounts of $107,160, $169,000 and $178,000. Glass Paving submitted the low bid.

Board members Robbie Toms, chairman; Tim England, vice chairman; Kenneth Edwards; Tammy Groce; and Charlotte Beals voted unanimously to accept the bid.

Ralston questioned Wheeler on progress at the site. Wheeler said the foundation is going in, the main sewer line is in and block work is ready to start as soon as water is there. The question of when water will be available at the site is the only concern at this point, he said.

Wheeler said all paving contracts had been awarded except for asphalt, which will be bid in the spring.