The Decatur County Board of Education approved a millage rate of 15.97 Monday evening at a special-called meeting.

The rate is a slight rollback from the fiscal year 2014 rate of 15.99. This was decided upon so that the BOE would not have to advertise the rate as an increase if the board kept it the same, Decatur County Superintendent Fred Rayfield said.

“We decided to take the rollback rate that will result in a tax revenue loss of $17,058,” Rayfield said.

If the board had voted to maintain a rate of 15.99, it would have had to advertise it as an increase, because of changes in the digest recently.

The rate passed 4-0, with board member Keith Lyle absent and board member Winston Rollins’ vote recorded as an abstain.

Rollins said that he did not have any problems with the vote and that he voted in favor of the millage rate.

“If I object to something, I will always say, ‘Nay,’” Rollins said.

Rollins’ vote was recorded as an abstention in the unofficial minutes because Rayfield did not hear his vote.

“He never said anything,” Rayfield said.

The motion to approve the rate was made by board member Jacky Grubbs, which was seconded by board member Kelvin Bouie.