Elkhart Council Lowers Tax Rate
New Mayor Pro Tem Elected
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
ELKHART – The Elkhart City Council followed a recent trend in the Houston and Anderson County areas as they unanimously approved to lower the city’s tax rate during a called meeting of the council held on Monday, Sept. 21.
The meeting was opened with a public hearing on the city’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. According to the meeting agenda, “This budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $4,315 or 3.64% and of that amount, $4,315 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year.”
Consultant Alan Gell said he was advised not to use 100% of projected tax collections but to rather use 95% percent of the projected amount as the basis for the budget.
“That is exactly what we put into the budget. If we get everything we think we are going to get, then it will be up. I took that advice and put 95% of that estimated amount for income purposes,” he said.
With no further comments for or against the FY 2020-2021 budget, the hearing was closed.
Following the hearing, a regular meeting of the council was opened.
The first order of business was the adoption of the city’s proposed budget. With no discussion a motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to adopt the FY 2020-2021 budget.
The next item of business concerned the city’s proposed tax rate. Elkhart’s tax rate for FY 2019-2020 had been $0.296680 per $100 of property valuation. The proposed tax rate for FY 2020-2021 was $0.294023 per $100 of property valuation.
With no discussion a motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to adopt the FY 2020-2021 tax rate.
The council also ratified the property tax revenues reflected in the budget because the FY 2020-2021 budget will require raising more tax revenue than the previous year due to property added to the city’s tax roll.
The final agenda item pertained to the election of a Mayor Pro Tem. A motion was made by Councilman Daryll Faulk and seconded by Councilman James Warren to nominate Councilman Chuck Conner as the city’s Mayor Pro Tem. The motion was approved unanimously.
Former mayor and previous Mayor Pro Tem Raymond Dunlap was not in attendance at the meeting.
With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:25 pm.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
