The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District Board of Education adopted the 2021 tax levy—the amount of revenue to support its budget raised through school taxes—at its Aug. 23 meeting, finalizing the 2021 tax rate for school district residents.
The school tax levy is just one factor, along with assessment rates and equalization rates, that municipalities use to determine residents’ tax rates. Tax rates are then used to calculate what each property owner ultimately pays in school taxes.
Town of DeWitt property owners within the district, who make up the majority of the district’s tax base, will see their 2021 tax rate decrease 2.13% from $24.04 per $1,000 of assessed value to $23.53 per $1,000 of assessed value.
There is some variation in the rate for district residents living in the towns of LaFayette, Manlius, Onondaga and Pompey due to differing equalization rates. Tax rates vary from town-to-town because every summer the state assigns an equalization rate for each town that creates an assessment value equal to its full market value. This process is intended to ensure that each town pays its fair share of school taxes based on the town’s fair market value.
The school district does not have control over property assessments or equalization rates, but the district and its residents do control the property tax levy. In May, voters approved a spending plan of $60,179,653 that included a proposed tax levy of $42,178,539, which does not exceed the district’s tax levy limit.
School tax bills are typically issued in September. Questions about assessments and equalization rates should be directed to the appropriate town assessor’s office.
Final tax rates
- Town of DeWitt: a tax rate of $23.53 per $1,000 of assessed value;
- Town of LaFayette: a tax rate of $28.35 per $1,000 of assessed value.
- Town of Manlius: a tax rate of $23.53 per $1,000 of assessed value;
- Town of Onondaga: a tax rate of $26.29 per $1,000 of assessed value; and
- Town of Pompey: a tax rate of $26.44 per $1,000 of assessed value.