Nelson Fiscal Court votes 5-0 to leave the 2018 tax rates unchanged
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 — Only one person spoke up during Nelson Fiscal Court’s public hearing regarding the county’s tax rates Thursday morning.
Magistrates Bernard Ice and Sam Hutchins talk prior to the start of Thursday’s special-called Fiscal Court meeting.
Don Thrasher, the Republican candidate for judge executive, read off a list of neighboring county’s tax rates, citing the fact that Nelson County’s property tax rate is the highest.
Judge Executive Dean Watts told Thrasher that each county’s revenue streams are a unique mix. Some counties have a higher occupational tax, others have insurance premium taxes that Nelson County doesn’t have. He said that comparing just the property tax rate doesn’t give a complete picture of how each county gets its revenue.
Following the hearing, the magistrates voted unanimously to leave the 2018 property tax rate unchanged from last year — 14.3 cents per $100 value.
The compensating rate — the tax rate that would generate approximately the same revenue as last year’s tax rate — was 14.0.
Thursday’s public hearing was required by law because leaving the tax rate the same generates approximately $80,000 in new tax revenue.
The court’s other option was to set the tax rate at 14.5 cents per $100 value, which is the rate that would create an additional 4 percent in tax revenue. Neither Watts nor the fiscal court members had proposed the court consider taking the 4 percent revenue increase.
Library Director Sharon Shanks discusses the library’s proposed tax rate changes at Thursday’s meeting.
Watts said additional tax revenue would help cover the increased costs the county has incurred in several areas, including employee retirement.
LIBRARY TAX RATE. Nelson County Public Library Director Sharon Shanks spoke briefly to the court to review the board’s proposed tax rate. Shanks also reviewed the library’s services to the community, including the increased popularity of its meeting rooms at its branches in Bardstown, New Haven and Bloomfield.
Shanks told the court that the library board proposed dropping its tax rate on both personal property and real estate from 7.9 cents per $100 value to 7.7, which is the compensating rate. The compensating rate is the tax rate that will bring in about the same amount of revenue as last year’s tax rate.
HOLIDAY GARAGE PICK-UP. The Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 3, 2018, will delay the week’s garbage pickup in the county by one day. Friday’s garbage routes will be run on Saturday.
In other business, Nelson Fiscal Court:
— heard that Watts has scheduled interviews in the search for a new recreation director;
Magistrate Keith Metcalfe makes a point during a discussion Thursday.
— that he also is conducting interviews for a new administrative assistant / human resources director;
— conducted an executive session related to industrial prospects with interests in the possible purchase of property in the Nelson County Industrial Park.
NEXT UP. Nelson Fiscal Court meets next on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018.
-30-
