Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
By PJ Martin
Office/Reporter, Metcalfe Division
Members of the fiscal court got straight to business at the Tuesday, August 27th meeting discussing the 2019 property, motor vehicle and watercraft tax rates.
Judge/Executive Harold Stilts noted that “We can take the compensating rate or the 4 percent increase. That wouldn’t create very much extra revenue. We’d have to have a public hearing if we go the 4 percent.”
The compensating rates received from the Department of Local Government (DLG) were discussed and approved unanimously at the following rates:
Metcalfe County Property
2019 Real Property tax rate of 9.2 cents per $100 of assessed value.
2019 Tangible Property tax rate of 10.0 cents per $100 of assessed value.
2019 Motor Vehicle and Watercraft tax rate of 8.2 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Metcalfe County Ambulance District
2019 Real Property tax rate of 6.2 cents per $100 of assessed value.
2019 Tangible Property tax rate of 6.0 cents per $100 of assessed value.
2019 Motor Vehicle and Watercraft tax rate of 3.0 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The court also acknowledged the following tax rates set by the individual boards:
Board of Education – real property 54.2%; motor vehicle and watercraft 56.6%
Library District – real property 12.9%; tangible 16.32%; motor vehicle and watercraft 3.31
Extension Service – real property 11.082%; tangible 11.9536%; motor vehicle and watercraft 4.0%
Soil Conservation – real property 1.6%
Metcalfe County Public Library Director Rhonda Glass was in attendance to answer any questions concerning the library district. “Our statutes say that we have to be here and do a verbal testimony. If you have any questions let me know,” stated Glass.
Financials
The first reading of FY2019/20 Budget Amendment No. 1 was approved. The amendment is for unanticipated revenues which consist of surplus cash in the bank that carried over to the new budget year and the Transportation Cabinet funds received recently for a total of $1,407,125.03. The DLG must approve before advertising for the second reading.
Treasurer Vickie Stephens presented the interest to date numbers for the two Ambulance Fund Certificates of Deposit as $3,465.75 for the 30 month CD and $812.96 for the 60 month CD.
Other Business
An update of the AgRenew processing facility was addressed by Magistrate Ronnie Miller.
“If it pleases the court, what I want to do is about the same thing we did on May 14th. Bring some residents back in here, bring the owner [AgRenew] and whoever I can get to tell us what’s going on down there cause we’ve still got the same issue. I’ve got about 12 residents who are really upset over it.”
Judge Stilts advised Miller to let the AgRenew owners know that a progress report and update are needed on what they are going to be doing to remedy the situation. Miller stated that he would like to try and schedule the meeting for the 4th Tuesday of September.
An update was given on the Homeland Security Grant by Gary Fancher Regional EMS Director who stated that the state side has been completed and the federal side is now in process to get the funds released.
