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Century Approves Property Tax Increase Due To Tornado Destruction
September 13, 2016
Monday night, the Century Town Council approved a property tax increase to offset revenue lost when hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property was destroyed during an EF-3 tornado.
The council voted to hike the ad valorem millage rate from 0.9005 to 0.9732 for the next fiscal year. That’s equal to a $3.63 tax increase on a $50,000 property. The town lost $404,593 in taxable property to the February tornado, according to the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office.
The increase will enable the town to meet their proposed $3.75 million budget for fiscal year beginning October 1. The upcoming year’s budget is down from the current year’s $5.1 million budget, which included about $2.2 million in grant income and expenditures.
Council member Ann Brooks voted along with the rest of the council to increase the millage rate, but she was the lone vote against the overall budget.
Before becoming final, the 2016-2017 Century budget faces another public hearing on Monday, September 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Pictured top: Century’s accountant, Robert Hudson explains the town’s budget to council members Monday night. Pictured below: The tentative budget summary, click to enlarge. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Comments
18 Responses to “Century Approves Property Tax Increase Due To Tornado Destruction”
@melodies
FEMA did not pay Pcola for tornado. There were FEMA funds from the past April flood
CAT fund is for insurance companies to use.
Come on people, I am just kidding but trying to point out to take these comments for what they are worth. But know what is said can make a difference for the good or the bad.
The CAT fund is what? Google it. How is it used? What fund does it go into?
It goes into insurance fund that insurance companies use.
Century Government isn’t perfect, but they are professional enough to ignore these comments and work.
Yes we can troll each other if we want or be good, educate ourselves and be kind to each other.
Sorry M…you have just been aggravating me to no end.
This does not make sense. First, FEMA denies Centry residents money (while paying assistance to the victims of the same tornado in Pensacola), and now the local government is raising their taxes? Florida has a catastrophi fund (CAT) for things like this. Every Floridian has paid the tax when they purchase goods. The local government is not very wise.
Y’all leave M alone
He only knows how to do 1 thing Well.
Century annexing other towns? They can’t even comprehend the Sunshine Law! Perhaps the newly annexed towns will help subsidize Century’s grwing legal tab.
@M in Bratt
Perhaps after Bratt becomes part of the city limits, if you don’t move, you could run for council and lend your know it all to the area in a constructive manner. That is if you would qualify otherwise or if any one would vote for you.. Then we could watch from the peanut gallery and comment in this peanut town..oh wait that’s Jay. I think you are confused.
I second the Motion for Annexation. That is brilliant. I think that will be a way to increase the tax base. I remember when South Flomaton and Century merged. It was great for the area. That should be considered immediately. That is a legal and intelligent solution in response to economic obstacles. Just imagine. The whole area Proud Centurions!! I love it!!!
#United we stand
#Divided we fall
Don’t leave out
#Annex McDavid
@M in Bratt on September 13th, 2016 4:41 pm -
“…these clowns…”, as you call them, are good people who are managing an incorporated town, providing jobs in various departments and numerous services to the citizens of Century. They also strive to help make the lives of Century residents better and to bring progress to the town. They use grant writers and citizen committees to attain grants that also help the town. They do a lot more daily than most can imagine. If it doesn’t directly effect you personally you may not notice.
They do all of this and more in spite of the naysayers and those such as you who are not citizens of Century but feel that you have to poke your nose in our town’s business. What do you do to make your community better? I suspect that many like you are just jealous that we in Century have town officials, grant writers and citizen committees who care about us and our town. I know you can’t relate to that and will likely continue to be the kind of person you are, and will continue to demean our town and its officials even though you do not live here and its none of your business. You just can’t fix stupid.
Century Citizen
@M in Bratt
Maybe that would be a good plan you are suggesting, to annex the whole county. You know you can buy chickens and eggs at the Food Giant If you have a job and money.
If you don’t like it you could move and become
M in Alabama
instead of the Century troll M from Bratt
Why do I believe they can handle more?
Because we are all obviously smarter then You. That is why.
@Century resident; while you are annexing, why don’t you just go ahead and annex the rest of the county. Then we could have a chicken ordnance in the entire north escambia. These clowns cannot handle what is inside the town limits now, what would make you believe that they could handle any more?
I agree with SW 100%.
I am for the tax increase. I hope to see negativity toward the town to cease. I look forward to see the grants in place and the process of rebuilding continue, Perhaps annexation of surrounding communities is a solution to increase the tax base.
#Annex Bratt
#AnnexByrnville
#Annex Walnut Hill
#Annex Bluff Springs
#Annex Molino
Add Northview School into the city limits.
This changes the demographics for the ability to serve on the council and for a new Mayor in the future. Plus they can include more customers into their utility.
Expand Century City Limits
If the “debt service” is $116,000, how much does peanut town owe?
@ southerner: Century has no other source of tax revenue, except for the small number of businesses, and whatever residential property taxes they can get. I don’t see it likely that property taxes will drop down as long as their is no other commercial expansion.
Are they going to revert back after a year?
Government operates within a set budget. When revenue is diminished, such as the case here, goods and services do not change. Either increase taxes or reduce service, you choose. It appears the council chose to retain the level of service it provides.
So I guess cutting the budget was out of the question?
Law of diminishing returns. Less property to tax = higher rates for the remaining citizens. Who can barely afford what they are paying already. No commercial tax base because no industry would ever relocate to Century. Sad but true.