An aerial photograph of Clearview Mall.

While the Clearview Mall assessment approved Wednesday by the county commissioners will lower the taxes paid by the struggling mall, the move will negatively affect the Butler School District.

The fair market value of the mall before the vote, according to documents from the county assessment office, is $32.3 million. The commissioners at their meeting approved the reassessment at the mall's settlement market value of $15 million.

The settlement value is an amount arrived at by the county assessment appeals board after appraisals of the mall by both its owner, JJ Gumberg, and the county.

The assessed value of the mall at its fair market value is $3.5 million, which would bring the county $95,740 in taxes.

The settlement value of $1.6 million will see the county taxes paid by the mall drop by $51,815 to $43,925.

Hardest hit will be the Butler School District, which will see a decrease of more than $198,000 in annual taxes as a result of the reassessment.

This is an excerpt — pick up Thursday's Butler Eagle to find out what affects this will have on the Butler School District.