Saturday, July 22, 2006

Hillsborough County Property Tax Rate Proposal

Hillsborough County's estimated budget for this coming year is a record $4 billion. With some $30 million in additional revenue from higher property assessments and new construction, proposals to cut the property tax rate fell on deaf ears with county commissioners.

Commissioner Blair proposed a 1 mill cut (equaling a $100.00 reduction per $100,000 of assessed home value.). Blair's plea included the comment: "It's the people's money"! Blair then proposed a half mill cut stating: "That's the rock bottom I can sleep with tonight".

Clearly no other commissioner was concerned about sleeping well that evening as no second to his motion was made. Previously commissioners agreed to cut the rate by 2/10ths of a mill. I guess that's their opinion of what is "the people's money.

The tax rate will be set this Thursday, and I doubt that there will be a run on no-doze by county commisioners between now and that meeting.

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