Council Expected to Make Final Budget Decision

The City Council is expected to adopt the millage rate and budget at its meeting Tuesday night, which begins at 6 p.m. at .

Before the council votes, it will have a public hearing on each, and the community is invited to comment and ask questions.

Your taxes equal your property value multiplied by the city’s millage rate. The fiscal year 2011-12 millage rate is tentatively set at 6.15 mills or 6.15 per $1,000 of taxable value. That’s an increase from the current millage rate of 5.95 mills; however, your property taxes shouldn’t increase because property values have decreased. In prior discussions, city council members have stated that they do not want to increase property taxes this year.

Citywide revenues and expenditures in the proposed 2011-12 budget are at $47.2 million, a decrease of $4,876,781 compared to the 2010-11 budget. The city’s proposed operating budget expenditures are 2.38 percent more than last year’s total operating expenditures.

The City has money that it has set aside in its reserves. In order to balance the budget, it needs to use $398,000 from reserves, which will leave $3.6 million in reserve.

According to the meeting agenda, the council is also expected to recognize Crime Prevention Month and Marjorie “Margie” Schine from the Woodmont Clubhouse Association.