Supervisors set tax rate

By Erin McGrath

Published: April 16, 2008

The Nelson County Board of Supervisors set the real estate tax rate at $.55 per $100 of assessed value at their April 14 meeting.

Supervisors have worked since February to drop the rate from the previously advertised $.59 and came to the vote almost a week after hearing public input on the real estate reassessment.

More than 100 people attended the public hearing held at the Nelson County Middle School Auditorium on April 8. Almost 20 people spoke on the tax rate, the budget for the schools, the assessed values of their homes and the difficult financial times they see ahead.

“None of us want to have our taxes raised,” Ed McCann of Massie’s Mill said. He also thanked the board for keeping the land use taxation in effect.

Leslie Rogers of Lovingston said the high-assessed value on land is only good if a landowner plans to sell their property.

“The high assessed value doesn’t do any good if you don’t intend to sell,” Rogers said. She also asked the board to increase it’s funding to the school system.

Ed Ely of Roseland, said the board should look to other localities facing the same problems as the county for solutions.

Dee Wells of Schuyler said the board to adopt a budget based on the needs of the county and not the desires.

At the April 14 meeting, East District Supervisor Allen Hale asked for the tax rate to be dropped another penny after hearing the challenge some residents will have in paying their tax bills, he said.

South District Supervisor Joe Dan Johnson asked for the tax rate to be raised a penny to help put more money into the school board’s budget.

Central District Supervisor Connie Brennan moved to pass the resolution setting the tax rate at $.55, which was seconded by West District Supervisor Thomas H. Bruguiere Jr.

The county’s revised budget for FY 2009 is now $29.9 million. A public hearing will be held on the budget on May 13 at 7:30 p.m.