GRANADA – In setting their preliminary levy, Granada-Huntley-East Chain School Board approved a preliminary 3.34 percent decrease from last year’s levy at a special meeting on Tuesday.

To do so, the school brought its local operating revenue down to $2,700 per student from $2,908. Multiplying this $208.80 revenue decrease by the 347.2 pupil units results in an under-levy of $72,495. With other adjustments, the final levy decrease is $64,713.

Superintendent Doug Storbeck said by under-levying this much, they can keep the district at the amount they’ve been communicating with the community.

Board Member Brad Mattson said they had brought the local operating revenue to $2,700 by this point last year as well. He asked if that’s where they landed, to which Business Manager Brian Mittelstadt said the end result differs yearly.

“It’s ranged anywhere from the lowest we ever did of an under levy of $50,000 and the highest was $275,000.”

Mittelstadt said what was presented were the recommendations given to them by Baird. Board Member Ross Gronewald asked about potential decreases in market value they had heard from the county, and Mittelstadt said that it is for the residential side.

“The -5.5, that’s the average reduction that Martin County Assessor’s office gave me as far as what the market values are going. Two years ago, I want to say it was like 15 percent, 20 percent increase last year was pretty much a slight increase. Now they’re seeing a slight decrease.”

While other tax increases may mean taxes go up as a whole, Mittelstadt said residents should be able to see a reduced impact on their taxes from GHEC because of their under-levying.

The amount levied preliminarily is $1.87 million. Storbeck said this is over $100,000 less than their max they could have done last year, which was a little over $2 million.

“Last year’s limitation adjustment was a lot more,” Mittelstadt said. “The initial levy calculations are pretty consistent with what it was last year, based on the pupil unit calculations.”

Because this is preliminary, it also leaves open potential changes to the levy based on what happens with the referendum. The final levy will be approved at a board meeting in December.

Mattson motioned, and Gronewald seconded to approve the preliminary levy, and the vote went through unanimously.