GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – The proposed budget for the city of Greenville could have an impact on homeowners.
“Greenville’s growing, it’s inevitable. This is what happens,” said Kristen Atchison, a Greenville resident.
But some of the numbers may be a little hard to follow.
“The city has proposed a tax rate that’s 2.69 cents higher than what revenue neutral would be for property owners,” said Brock Letchworth, Greenville’s public information officer.
So, we sat down with Letchworth to discuss what exactly the change means for homeowners. He says that an average $300,000 house could see property taxes go up around $200.00.
While the overall tax rate is lower than the current 48.95 cents, property value increases mean taxes will still go up.
“The city council has proposed a 39.54 cent tax rate, which is slightly higher than what a revenue-neutral rate would be given that the property owner would pay the same amount as they did last year. But as property values increase, they’re going to be paying a little bit more,” said Letchworth.
However, some citizens understand that may be the price they have to pay for the city’s development.
“With growth comes increase–increase of the property value, increase of taxes–it’s just that simple. Of course, we don’t want it, but we also want the property value to increase,” said Atchison.
As City Council Member Marion Blackburn says, despite some of the concern about taxes, there is a positive side.
“I think it’s important to look at the really exciting part of the reevaluation, which is that property values have really gone up. That shows that Greenville is a place that is desirable,” said Blackburn.
If this budget is approved, the city would bring in around three million dollars, with half of that going to public safety, including adjusting salaries and adding more fire rescue positions.
The City of Greenville will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget this Monday, June 10th, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of city hall. The final vote on this budget is the following Thursday.
Source: WITN