City to finalize new tax rates today
Published 10:46 am Thursday, October 19, 2017
A special meeting this morning for the Winchester Board of Commissioners will finalize property tax rates for the coming year.
Tuesday, the commissioners approved the first reading of the ordinance, which will leave the rate for real property at 14.6 cents per $100 value and 14.99 cents for personal property.
The existing rate is above the city’s compensating rate of 14.5 cents, which would generate the same amount of revenue as this year. Going with the 14.6 cent rate required a public hearing, but no one spoke for or against the rate Tuesday.
The rates were approved unanimously by the commissioners. The second reading will be at 10 a.m. today during a special commission meeting.
City Treasurer Debbie Bailey said the bills would be printed and prepared next week to go in the mail.
The city could have set a 15.0 cent rate, which would have generated a 4 percent increase in revenue, which is the most allowed under state law without being subject to a recall vote. The compensating rate was 14.5 cents.
The 14.6 cent rate should generate $1.662 million for the city, compared to $1.651 million with the compensating rate, according to the city’s public notice. For 2017, the 14.6 cent rate generated about $1,621.800.
In other action Tuesday, the commissioners:
— rescheduled the Nov 7 meeting to Nov. 6 because of a scheduling conflict.
— voted to contribute $1,200 to reconstruct the marker for Clark County High School.
— approved a letter of support for U.S. Bicycle Route 21 to run through Clark County.
— approved two out-of-state travel requests for Winchester Fire-EMS personnel
— awarded the site preparation contract for the Winchester Fire-EMS training tower to Watson Building, which submitted the low bid of $39,993.16.
— awarded storm sewer repair contracts on Redwing Drive and Spruce Court to Lagco Excavation for a total of $17,659.
— accepted the resignation of Shalanta Gullett from the Main Street Winchester board.
— appointed Lisa Vincent to fill Gullett’s unexpired term on the Main Street board.
— Accepted the retirements of firefighter III/EMT Billy Leslie and communications officer I Rondi Leslie