Washington to vote on no-tax increase budget
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The final touches have been put on a 2024 budget for the city of Washington and it does not include a tax increase.
A vote to affirm the $15,093,936 spending plan is expected when council meets Thursday. The budget is about $100,000 more than the 2023 spending plan due to contractual obligations, salaries and benefits.
Councilman Ken Westcott, who chairs the finance department, said there were only a few minor adjustments to the spending plan since it was initially presented in November.
“The only change that came in was the contribution for the pension plan,” Westcott said after the meeting. “It went down about $70,000. It’s always good to have a deduction.”
Millage in the city will be levied at 38.71 mills for land and 4.03 mills for buildings. Those figures have been in place since 2019.
Taxes are expected to generate 69% of anticipated revenue. Departmental costs cover more than half of the anticipated expenditures. The anticipated cost for police protection is $2.77 million, and fire protection is expected to cost $1.875 million.
Mayor Scott Putnam credited all who worked on the budget.
“Our staff has done a great job,” he said. “We haven’t had a tax increase in five years and that’s a testament to our guys doing more with less.”
City Administrator Donn Henderson said the city solid waste and recycling collection schedule is expected to remain the same, even though a new hauler will be taking over in January.
In October, council approved a five-year contract with Big’s Sanitation. In November, council approved a once-a-year collection fee of $300 per dwelling unit, up from the $243 rate that had been in place since 2013.
“They’re telling us it will be a smooth transition,” Henderson said. “Nothing is essentially going to change.”
Lastly, fire Chief Chris Richer said renovations to the Tylerdale Fire Station are expected to be completed by next week.
This is the first time the station has been renovated in about 20 to 30 years. The renovation included new flooring, kitchen cabinets, windows, rubber roof and painting.