TOWN BOARD APPROVES 4-CENT TAX INCREASE, PLANS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL LOCAL SALES TAX

At tonight’s Town Board budget workshop meeting, Commissioners decided to go through with a budget that includes a 4-cent property tax increase. The increase will go toward paying salaries for 3 police officers, a detective, and 3 firefighters, though they won’t be hired until spring 2015. The 2014-2015 budget is now essentially set, and final approval should come at the Town Board meeting this Monday (June 30, 7 p.m.).

Commissioners approved the increase because of the increased public safety. Commissioner Deaver said “We need to plan now for more police and fire personnel.” Commissioner Edwards said “The safety of our citizens is a high priority.”

In other budget-related decisions commissioners decided to:
— put $9,000 toward hiring temporary workers in the Parks & Recreation Department; and,
— wait until after the town’s fiscal audit in October or November to revisit the idea of contributing $10,000 to the town Chamber of Commerce for four promotional billboards along I-95.

At this past Monday night’s meeting, several citizens spoke on the idea of a supplemental local sales tax. Tonight, Mayor Warner said that the commissioners were going to appeal to the state General Assembly to approve one, but that that process would take several months to complete, and so it likely couldn’t be implemented until the 2015-2016 budget at the earliest. According to the General Assembly, a 1/4 cent local sales tax would bring about $240,000 in revenue to the town.

The usual first-Monday meeting which would have been scheduled for July 7 has been cancelled, and the June 30 meeting will replace it. Commissioners changed the schedule so they could approve the budget by the June 30 end-of-fiscal year deadline. All citizens are invited and encouraged to attend.

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