Updated at 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2007
City Council approves higher sewer fees, new budget
Advertiser Staff
The City Council voted today to approve higher sewer fees and business property taxes along with a $1.6 billion city operating budget for the coming fiscal year.The four-year package of sewer fee hikes will begin taking effect next month and will raise the average home's monthly charge to more than $90 by 2011. The average monthly fee is currently $45.44 and would increase to $56.81 in July.
Owners of working farms got the biggest tax break: a $2.87 decrease in the agricultural property tax rate.
The rate — applied to the assessed value of a property to determine its tax liability — will drop from $8.57 to $5.70 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Tax rates for homes and apartments are also headed downward, but actual tax bills could still be higher for properties that have substantially increased in value.
The council voted to lower tax rates for homes and apartments by 30 cents, to $3.29 per $1,000 of value.
