Winfield residents will pay a bit more in property taxes to fund city operations in 2009 but that increase is mostly attributable to a dip in the assessed value of Winfield property, city officials said.
An owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $24 more next year than they did in 2008. Property tax money makes up a portion of the funds used to support city services like police, fire and day to day operation of parks and other city facilities.
City Manager Warren Porter said any increase in overall spending will fund the electric and water utility system. Funding for utilities requires more than $40 million of the city’s proposed $60 million budget for 2009.
Utilities are funded through user fees paid monthly.
To generate more property tax revenue the city will increase the mill levy a bit, which is how property taxes are raised. The levy went down just over 1 percent this year.
But an increase was necessary this year mostly because the city’s assessed valued went down. For the 2008 budget, the city’s value was assessed at $66.6 million but for 2009 the value will drop to $65.4 million.
That value determines what one mill worth of taxes is worth, so for 2009 the value of a mill will be about $1,200 less than this year. Overall, the tax increase will generate about $78,000 in new property tax revenue next year.
If all the numbers are too much to digest, Porter said, the budget can basically be described as a spending blueprint that basically maintains city operations at the current level.
"We’re not adding employees," he said. "We’re just trying to keep things they way they are and not ask for any more money than wee need."
Employees will get a 2 percent cost-of-living increase, Porter said.
Much of any new revenue – which includes sources other than property tax – will go to operate utilities and to pay interest on long-term funding for projects like, new fire trucks, the Bliss Street drainage work and the resurfacing of Third.
"For things like police, fire, parks and general fund spending," Porter said. "The line is virtually flat, we’re not increase spending by much if at all most places."
