Fiscal court sets tax hearing date; proposed tax rates the same as last year

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017 — Nelson Fiscal Court voted this morning in a special meeting to hold a public hearing on the county’s 2017 tax rates.

Judge Executive Dean Watts has proposed to leave the rates the same as last year. Due to the county’s growth in property valuations, leaving the tax rates the same will produce an additional $294,000 in tax revenue.

The increase in tax revenue over last year also triggers the requirement for the court to hold a public hearing. The magistrates voted to set the hearing for 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017 in the fiscal court meeting room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse.

Following the tax hearing, the magistrates will hold first reading on the tax rate they select.

Fiscal Court has three options regarding tax rates.

The court can approve the compensating rate, which sets tax rates so the county receives about the same amount of tax revenue as the previous year.

The court has the option of leaving tax rates the same — as it has proposed to do for 2017. If leaving the rate the same generates additional revenue, then a public hearing is required.

The court’s third option is to set the tax rates to create a 4 percent tax revenue increase over last year’s tax revenue. This option also requires a public hearing.

NEXT UP. Nelson Fiscal Court next meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22.

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