The proposed rate is the maximum rate that can be adopted for the city’s next budget, but a lower rate could still be adopted, and City Council indicated they intended to adopt a lower rate.
What’s going on?
Council voted to accept the tax rate ceiling and set a public hearing on the FY 2025-26 tax rate for Sept. 18.
City Manager Todd Parton noted the city ultimately expected to keep the tax rate the same as in years prior.
“We’re looking to finalize and deliver a final budget for council consideration that is looking to keep the overall tax rate the same, so the $0.417282 rate from this year would be carried over into the next fiscal year budget for next year,” he said.
A closer look
Before voting to set the hearing and tax rate ceiling, Mayor Christine DeLisle clarified that the proposed tax rate differs from the actual tax rate.
“What we do today is we adopt the ceiling, but we vowed to keep our tax rate the same year over year to pay for things, so what we say tonight is not what your tax rate is going to be but will set our two hearings, and that’s when you get your real tax rate, which will be lower,” she said.
