CRESTVIEW — City Council members have left unchanged the millage rate they raised last year to 5.8466.
City leaders, as in past years, expressed hope that they could lower the rate during the budgeting process.
Upon the July 1 receipt of the Okaloosa County tax assessor’s property values certification, the council had 35 days to set a tentative millage and budget hearing dates, City Clerk Betsy Roy said.
“This number can always be lowered, but when we set it, it cannot be raised,” Roy said.
The city might have a $68,700 revenue increase by leaving the millage rate unchanged, according to materials that Roy distributed.
Reducing the millage without cutting spending would lower income by as much as $442,736 under a .50 percent reduction to 5.3466 mills.
The council is considering levying a fire assessment fee on all city residences and businesses. Some city leaders will only support the proposal if it means reducing the millage rate; one mill is $1 of tax per thousand dollars of taxable property value.
Other council members want to retain the current millage rate and use the extra revenue for future fire department needs, such as new equipment.
WANT TO GO?
The Crestview City Council will conduct public hearings for the 2014-15 fiscal year budget at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9 and 23 at city hall. Tentative budget workshops are 5:30 p.m. Aug. 4, 7 and 18, and 8 a.m. Aug. 20.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 2014-15 budgeting begins; tentative millage unchanged