Taxes rise for Lexington-Richland 5 schools

Businesses on the north side of Lake Murray will bear the brunt of a property tax hike for local schools.

The increase is coming after the Lexington-Richland 5 school board included it in a $166.5 million spending plan for the year starting July 1.

Taxes are going up slightly more than $94 on $100,000 of commercial property as well as much smaller amounts on vehicles.

Homeowners are exempt from the increase, although it will be applied to their vehicles.

The tax increase approved Monday is the second-largest adopted this year for schools in the Columbia area.

It’s necessary to keep classrooms rated among the best in South Carolina “truly extraordinary,” Superintendent Stephen Hefner said.

The increase was approved 5-2 after board members Jan Hammond and Jondy Loveless unsuccessfully pressed for a smaller increase.

Both wanted to use more savings than school officials suggested.

Doing that would reduce a cushion needed as state aid declines and local property taxes generate less, board member Ed White said.

There are about 16,500 students in Lexington-Richland 5 classrooms in the Chapin, Dutch Fork, Harbison, Irmo and St. Andrews areas.

This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 11:48 AM.