Public Hearing Thursday on Tax Hikes: Will Anyone Come?

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

May 29, 2013

Cape Charles taxpayers will have a chance to speak their minds on a proposed property tax increase at a public hearing 6 p.m. Thursday (May 30) at St. Charles Parish Hall, 550 Tazewell Avenue.

Town Council is considering two rate increases: The first would “equalize” the amount of tax collected to be the same as last year, even though real property assessments dropped 35 percent on average.

A second rate hike would result in an actual 8 percent increase in revenues over last year.

Last year’s Town tax rate was 18 cents per hundred dollars of value. This year’s equalization rate would be 26 cents, and the additional 8 percent hike would bring the total tax to 28 cents per hundred dollars.

A second public hearing will be held June 20 on the complete Town budget, including a proposed 50 percent sewer rate hike.

At last year’s public hearing on the tax rate and budget, only two members of the public attended. No written comments were received, and the only speaker was councilman-elect Frank Wendell.

At both the 2011 and 2010 public hearings, no member of the public attended and no written comments were received. [Read more…]

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