Lynchburg City Council voted Tuesday to keep the tax rate level at $1.05. A proposal was made to lower the rate to $0.998 to offset the rise in real estate values seen after this year’s reassessment.
The city’s overall taxable property values increased by 5 percent in the new assessment. By keeping the real estate tax rate steady at $1.05, council has increased the tax burden on property owners by 5 percent or $2.5 million.
The vote to keep the rate level split 4-3. Voting in favor were Mayor Joan Foster; Vice Mayor Bert Dodson; Councilman Michael Gillette, Ward I; and Councilman Ceasor Johnson, Ward II.
Dissenting were councilmen Scott Garrett, at large; Jeff Helgeson, Ward III; and Turner Perrow, Ward IV.
Those who argued for a lower rate said this was not the time to raises taxes on residents, citing the ongoing recession. Those who voted to keep the rate level said the city had already sacrified significantly, including cutting salaries across the board for staff, and couldn’t afford to lose additional revenue.
Council will continue its budget deliberations by diving into a lengthy list of suggested cuts and additions submitted by members during past discussions. Several members expressed interest in using any savings created by those future decisions to increase tax relief for the elderly and disabled.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement