County Millage Stable; Higher Revenues Expected

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Levy County Commissioners Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a proposed property tax rate of 9 mills for their 2022 budget.

It’s exactly the same millage as the current budget but will generate more property tax revenue and must be advertised as a tax increase.

A high rate of residential construction increased property tax revenues.

Commissioners have the option of lowering the millage rate through the final budget hearing in late September.

Jared Blanton, financial director for the clerk's office and budget officer for the Levy County Commission outlines the 2022 budget for commissioners and recommends a tax rate of 9 mills. Commissioners approved 9 mills as their preliminary rate. The rate can be lowered in either of two September budget hearings. — Jared Blanton, financial director for the clerk’s office and budget officer for the Levy County Commission outlines the 2022 budget for commissioners and recommends a tax rate of 9 mills. Commissioners approved 9 mills as their preliminary rate. The rate can be lowered in either of two September budget hearings.

The commission still has the option of adopting the rollback tax rate of 8.5825 mills, which would generate roughly the same revenue as 2021.

The 9 mills will produce about $20.1 million of property tax revenue, an increase of roughly $1.1 million over the current year.

Property taxes are a relatively small amount of the county commission’s total projected budget of $113.1 million for 2022, the largest in board history.

The previous year’s budget was about $98 million. The overall increase is about $15 million over the current year.

However, the county commission’s budget officer, Jared Blanton of the clerk’s office, said the $15 million increase doesn’t mean the board is going on a big spending spree in 2022.

When the year-end adjustments are made, the increase in the 2022 budget is more likely to be closer to $5 million than $15 million, according to Blanton.

For those unfamiliar with the budget process, the county commission’s yearly operating budget doesn’t run from January to January. It runs from Oct. 1 of the previous year until Sept. 30 of the following year.

Commissioners are also preparing for a gradual increase in the minimum wage. Voters approved a constitutional amendment last year raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.

The board is also uncertain about what the Biden administration might do about COVID-19. If Biden shuts down the national economy this year to curb transmission of the virus, as President Trump did in 2020, the financial impacts to the county could be substantial.

The potential shutdown of the economy is speculation at this point.

Levy County Commissioners, staff, and members of the public gather in a prayer circle before the start of Tuesday's board meeting to pray for hospitalized County Commissioner Mike Joyner and others in the community who are sick or have lost loved ones. Joyner missed Tuesday's meeting. Commission Chairman John Meeks would say only that he is hospitalized. — Levy County Commissioners, staff, and members of the public gather in a prayer circle before the start of Tuesday’s board meeting to pray for hospitalized County Commissioner Mike Joyner and others in the community who are sick or have lost loved ones. Joyner missed Tuesday’s meeting. Commission Chairman John Meeks would say only that he is hospitalized.

——————

Board of County Commission Budget Meeting August 3, 2021; Posted August 3, 2021

Related posts