Courtesy of WCTV
A 4-1 vote has passed a 13-percent property-tax increase by the Tallahassee City Commission on Wednesday.
The original increase proposed by City Manager Anita Favors Thompson was 23-percent, which is 10-percent higher than the recently approved increase. The one vote against this motion was City Commissioner Scott Maddox, as he stuck by his word.
“Before I would advocate for a property tax increase, I would want to able look a citizen in the eye and say that I looked at every last possible scenario to avoid it,” Maddox said. “I don’t think we’ve even come close to doing that as a government.”
Preceding the vote on the last spending plan before the month is over, city staff will need to discover another $1.1 million in cuts.
Government consultant, Barney Bishop does not agree with the property-tax increase and feels that their should have been another way to pass the budget without implementing this increase.
“I have been asking the city not to go forward with a property-tax increase and instead find cuts to fund public safety needs,” Bishop said.
Tallahassee resident Joanne Williams, 61, believes that increasing the tax-property percentage is actually necessary.
“The property-tax increase is needed to meet a budget shortfall to cover a minimal salary increase,” Williams said.
Not everyone agrees with the 13-percent increase for property-taxes, but a final budget will soon be in place.