No tax increase in city, but mayor says that could change
Washington mayor and council approved a balanced 2017 budget that is “basically a carbon copy” of the 2016 budget.
“It’s revenue-neutral,” said Mayor Scott Putnam Monday.
Revenues and expenditures are $13,402,696, with real estate taxes netting $4.9 million. The millage rate changed to take into account the current countywide reassessment. The real estate tax is 32.71 mills, and the building-only tax is 1.59 mills.
According to Councilman Joe Manning, head of the finance department, the public works department was allocated more due to vehicle maintenance. Other cost increases include health care and contractual obligations with bargaining units, including police and fire department members and non-uniformed employees.
Though the final budget was approved Dec. 8, Putnam said there’s a possibility it could change.
“We may need to make an amendment to that budget to account for the unknown in property appeals,” he said.
Washington County now calculates its property assessments at 100 percent of July 1, 2015, values, rather than the previous 25 percent of 1981 values. Assessment appeals are ongoing and could take months to determine.
Under third-class city code, council has until February 2017 to make changes. But Putnam said if there’s a change, it will be done this year. A special meeting would have to be advertised and the budget would have to be displayed for 10 days before official adoption.