HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-07-1998 Truth in Taxation Minutes5'
. MINUTES OF THE TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING
HELD AT 7:00 P.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 1998
IN THE ORONO COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Members present: Mayor Jabbour and Council Members Goetten, Peterson, Flint and Kelley. Staff
present: City Administrator Ron Moorse, Finance Director Tom Kuehn, Assistant Finance Director
Ron Olson, and Recorder Jamie Gemar.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Jabbour. Mayor Jabbour indicated the
purpose of the Truth In Taxation hearing was to provide an opportunity for citizens to obtain
information about the proposed 1999 Budget and Tax Levy. Moorse began the presentation of the
budget by indicating that City's property tax levy is 12.3% of a property owner's total property tax
bill. He then summarized the elements of the tax levy increase. The preliminary tax levy approved
by the Council was $2,339,140 dollars. This was an increase of $114,010 dollars or 5.1% over the
1998 levy. The General Fund Budget, which has the greatest impact on the tax levy is proposed at
$3,850,340 dollars. This is an increase of $212,245 dollars or 5.8% over the 1998 budget.
Moorse reviewed a list of expenditures items causing the increase in the General Fund budget.
These included expenditures related to the update of the City's Comprehensive Plan and Zoning
Code, the addition of a full time Assistant Zoning Administrator and a full time Animal Control
Officer, annual employee compensation adjustments, and increased costs related to contracted
is services such as assessing and fire services.
Mayor Jabbour stated resident expectations and the budget increase are not parallel. The Navarre
area residents believe the city should provide higher levels of service to the area.
Kelley voiced concern over the $35,000 for the update of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment in
the 1999 budget. Kelley was concerned that this would not be a one shot budget item and that it
would linger on to the next year's budget. He indicated he would rather see this one -time
expenditure funded by the 1998 General Fund budget surplus.
Council discussed different options for reducing the tax levy for the 1999 budget.
Moorse indicated although new development causes expenditure increases, it also generates new tax
capacity which expands the base over which property taxes are levied. This helps to limit the impact
of expenditure increases on City taxpayers in general. However, in recent years the reductions in
property class rates for higher - valued residential properties and commercial /industrial properties
have caused the City's tax capacity or tax base to be reduced, even though the City has experienced
significant new development.
Flint indicated he had asked Moorse to determine the level of property taxes that would be generated
using the 1998 tax capacity rate in the absence of property class rate changes. Moorse showed a
property tax calculation that indicated without the property class rate changes the 1998 tax capacity
40 rate of 14.716 would have generated $2,326,000 dollars in property tax revenue. This is
MINUTES OF THE TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING •
HELD AT 7:00 P.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8,1998
IN THE ORONO COUNCIL CHAMBERS
approximately $13,000 dollars less then the proposed levy of $2,339,140 dollars. This would be a
4.5% levy increase versus the proposed 5.1% increase.
Mayor Jabbour indicated he had requested Moorse to determine the levy increase based on the cost
of living increase plus a factor for city growth.
Moorse indicated that projecting a 2% increase in the consumer price index plus a 1% city growth
factor would result in a 3% tax levy increase. This amount would be $2,291,884 dollars or a
reduction of $47,256 dollars from the preliminary approved levy.
Flint stated he could support the tax levy at $2,291,884, and asked staff to come back to Council with
a recommendation reflecting the tax levy at $2,291,884.
Council directed staff to reduce the tax levy to $2,291,884 for fmal adoption at the Council meeting
on December 14, 1998.
Mayor Jabbour asked if there were any questions or comments regarding the budget from the public.
There were no public comments. 0
There being no further comments, Mayor Jabbour closed the hearing and announced that the
subsequent levy adoption hearing would be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 14, 1998.
ATTEST: Gabrie Jabbour, Mayor
Linda S. Vee, City Clerk