Final answer:
The two claims are not equivalent, but they are not in conflict. They are not comparable because they are talking about different things.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two claims mentioned are not equivalent, but they are also not in conflict. They are talking about different things, so they are not comparable. Claim a) states that the school levy is only a 0.1% increase of the property tax rate. This means that the school levy is a small addition to the existing property tax rate. On the other hand, claim b) states that the new levy is a 12% tax hike, raising the total tax rate to $9.33 per $1000 of value. This means that the new levy is a significant increase in the tax rate.