Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Board approves 2-cent tax hike
It’s official – the county real estate tax rate is now 2 cents more following unanimous approval of the increase Tuesday by county supervisors.
The new rate of 50 cents for every $100 of a property’s assessed value and is effective retroactive to Jan. 1. That calculates, for example, to an annual tax bill of $2,000 for a property assessed at $400,000, and $1,500 for a property valued at $300,000.
The action came as supervisors also unanimously agreed to set in place a $39.7 million operating budget for fiscal 2009, which begins July 1.
The Board of Supervisors has been shaping the budget over the past several months, trying to juggle spending with anticipated revenues, while absorbing state funding cutbacks and a loss of $527,000 in personal property tax income.
Supervisors also agreed to shift some capital improvement expenses from fiscal 2009 to the current budget year, and to use approximately $618,000 set aside for them and carried forward from previous budget years. These include, for example, roof repairs at the Sheriff’s office and a patrol car for an additional sheriff’s deputy who will focus on enforcing traffic laws.
The budget also includes a 4 percent raise for county employees.
“It’s a very austere budget,” board chairman John Staelin (D-Millwood/Pine Grove) said, explaining that the county has been increasingly losing local, state, and federal revenues.
In other action, supervisors set a May 20 public hearing at 6:30 p.m. at the county courthouse on a proposed ordinance that would allow them to mandate water conservation measures in a drought situation.
And just as they did last year, supervisors rejected a state transportation plan for secondary road projects, saying it fails to meet and adequately fund the county’s needs.
Contact the reporter at rmarlow@timespapers.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.