May 22, 2008

Real estate tax rate holds

As expected, the Waynesboro City Council unanimously adopted a tax rate ordinance and introduced a budget ordinance Thursday. The real estate tax for fiscal year 2009 will be unchanged from the current year, at 70 cents per $100 assessed value. The personal property tax is $5 per $100 of assessed value, while the machinery and tools tax is $3 per $100 of assessed value. By the city’s charter, the council must introduce a budget ordinance prior to the fourth Monday in May, City Manager Doug Walker explained. The $40.1 million general fund budget, according to Budget Director Pat Nicosia, is about $657,000 below Walker’s original budget he proposed to council. The introduced budget number, according to Councilman Frank Lucente, does not incorporate the rebate the Waynesboro Town Center will receive – about $833,000 – making the budget, in effect, $39.2 million. Councilmen Tim Williams, along with Lucente both praised Nicosia and Walker’s work on the budget. Williams said he was pleased with the balanced budget and retaining the current tax rate. Lucente introduced the 70-cent rate, meaning the council had to come up with around $600,000 in cuts to the budget, which it did Monday. “We didn’t cut the budget,” Lucente said. “The budget really grew because even without having the tax increase, we have a bigger budget.” Mayor Tom Reynolds once again warned residents of the budget cuts’ impact. “There are some cuts that you are going to feel,” Reynolds said. “And so when the time comes, be aware that you got what you wanted, a 70-cent tax rate, so don’t cry too loudly if the service that you had been getting is no longer there. It’s going to happen because of having to cut that much out of this budget, so just be aware.” The council will take up the budget ordinance at its June 9 meeting.

May 01, 2008

Do you favor raising the real estate tax? Ward B Candidates Respond

Do you favor raising the real estate tax? Why or why not? Responses from Waynesboro’s Ward B City Council candidates

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement