Dothan Commission Holds A Public Forum On Property Tax Increase

One by one, people stood in line to speak their mind on a proposed 15 -millage property tax increase. Dothan homeowners asked, Mayor Mike Shmitz to allow them to vote on a property tax increase, while others asked him to not let it go any further.

Betsey Keyton was one of the people speaking out. Keyton says she owns several hundred rental properties and raising the property tax would cost her thousands.

"I'm getting ready to go from about 25-hundred or three thousand dollars worth of property taxes a year to nearly six thousands dollars in property taxes a year. I don't have that kind of money," said Keyton.

Keyton says she will have to offset her extra costs in property taxes to her renters.

"We will be forced to increase our rent to these people in the neighborhood of 50 dollars a month," said Keyton.

Of the 15 millage property tax increase, 13 mills will support  Dothan Schools and the other two mills will benefit Houston Love Memorial Library.  Keyton says she won't support  funding for Dothan school, until the school district shows accountability.

Forrest Register agrees, there needs to accountability. He says, but now is not the time to point fingers. He says Dothan Schools System is suffering.

" Our technology center is out here stripped of programs. The electrician programs gone," said Register.

Register says it's not enough money in schools to pay for books.

" I got a child, and I asked her to bring home a book and we had to make a special request to get it," said Register.

The city commission did not make a decision tonight, on whether to move forward with the property tax referendum or not. Mayor Mike Schmitz says he hopes to have more public forums on the issue.