Property owners in the Fort Dodge Community School District can expect to see a slight decrease in the school district’s tax levy during the next fiscal year.

Brandon Hansel, the district’s director of financial services, presented the preliminary budget assumptions for fiscal year 2021-2022 to the Board of Education during a workshop on Monday evening.

In his presentation, Hansel proposed a 29-cent decrease in the property tax levy rate, which would bring the rate to $16.21 per $1,000 of taxable value.

“That’s great news, certainly welcome news to us as a school district, any time we can provide relief to our faithful taxpayers,” Hansel said.

The final levy rate for fiscal year 2022 will be determined by the school board before the adoption of the certified budget on March 22.

The proposed tax rate assumes a slightly increased management fund levy, a general fund cash reserve levy and the use of a surplus debt service levy to achieve the targeted tax rate.

Hansel also told the board the district’s property tax base increased in valuation by 2.4% for fiscal year 2022.

The total general fund revenue is estimated to be $50,575,102, while the total general fund expenditures are estimated to be $50,725,833. This proposal includes intentional overspending to use cash reserves already on hand.

Superintendent Jesse Ulrich will give his budget recommendation to the school board during its March 8 meeting.

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be on March 22, followed by the school board’s vote on adoption of the certified budget.