Sykes proposes reduction in fire tax millage rate

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August 24, 2010

Staff report CNHI The Times Enterprise Tue Aug 24, 2010, 10:03 PM EDT

THOMASVILLE — The Thomasville City Council, at its Monday workshop, heard a proposal from City Manager Steve Sykes to lower the 2010 city fire tax millage rate.

Sykes provided the council with the options of lowering the rate from 2.5 mills in 2009 to a proposed rate as low as 1.44 mills for 2010.

If approved, the proposed rate means that city property owners will see their fire tax rate reduced by more than 42 percent from last year’s rate.

“We budgeted a 35 percent decrease in fire tax for 2010, but we have sufficient revenues from delinquent tax collections and from our utilities to reduce the 2010 rate by over 42 percent with council approval,” Sykes said in a city news release.

This proposed reduction means a property owner with a home valued at $125,000 would see the city’s fire tax reduced from $125 in 2009 to approximately $72 in 2010, according to the release.

A property valued at $225,000 would have a savings of approximately $100 over 2009.

The City of Thomasville levies the fire tax millage to provide partial funding of its ISO Class 2 fire department, Thomasville Fire Rescue.

City residents also pay Thomasville City School, Thomas County, Emergency Services, and state taxes.

The council agreed last year to implement a plan to reduce the millage over the next three to five years with the goal of eliminating the tax altogether.

Revenues from the city-owned utilities (electric, water, sewer, natural gas, solid waste, and CNS services) are transferred to the General Fund to provide funding for services like police protection, fire protection, street maintenance, and other essential services.

“With the economy still reeling from the recent recession, many cities are having to maintain or in some cases raise tax levels to continue to provide needed services for their citizens,” Mayor Pro-Tem Max Beverly said in the news release.

“Due to the city’s foresight in managing our utilities business, the City of Thomasville is not dependent on property taxes and is now presented with the opportunity to offer our residents a tax break to ease possible financial strain.”

The 2010 fire tax millage rate is slated to be adopted at the Sept. 13 council meeting.

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