It doesn't get any easier. This is something we can all live with. City officials still don't know the effect on homeowners' tax levies. The city won't receive its certified tax rolls until Aug. 11, but Finance Director David Wright projects the proposed tax rate will be about 3 percent above the effective rate - the level at which the city can raise the same amount of taxes as the previous year.
Citizens can sound off on the proposed tax rate and budget in a pair of public hearings next month.
Much of the increase is tied to pay raises, new employees, a new storefront library branch and new street name signs. Firefighters and police officers will get 4 percent pay hikes. Other employees will get raises up to 5 percent based on their performance. The operation was expected to generate revenue above its costs. The proposal involved storing abandoned cars and prisoners' vehicles, not the more lucrative business of towing.