Century To Try Again To Approve Tax Increase, Budget For Next Year

September 22, 2021

The Town of Century will redo a meeting to pass a tentative property tax increase and budget for the next fiscal year after botching the process on the first try.

An agenda for the public hearing held last week improperly indicated that property taxes would not increase. Council President Louis Gomez read from agenda, and with a 4-0 vote the council approved no property tax increase. But the resolution required, and signed at the end of the meeting by the council president, set a different millage rate than discussed and actually included a tax increase. The percent of the increase as stated in the resolution was also calculated wrong. The mistakes were caught by NorthEscambia.com and pointed out to town officials after the meeting.

Town Attorney Matt Dannheiser recommended that the council hold another meeting to approve the tentative tax rate and budget before moving on to a final approval.

The special meeting will be held September 28 at 5:30 p.m. The town is proposing a property tax increase with a millage rate of .9204, which is 7.61% greater than the rolled-back rate of .8553 mills. The rolled-back rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as approved for the prior year. The town is proposing a $5.7 million budget for fiscal year 2021-2022, up from $4.14 million during the current fiscal year. The increase is mostly due to income from grants.

Pictured: The Town of Century will hold another meeting to correct property tax millage mistakes made in this September 13 meeting. Pictured are Century’s accountant Robert Hudson (foreground, right), and council members (L-R) President Luis Gomez, Jr., Sandra McMurray-Jackson and Dynette Lewis. Pictured below: Other than NorthEscambia.com, no member of the public attended the public hearing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

6 Responses to “Century To Try Again To Approve Tax Increase, Budget For Next Year”

  1. A Alex on September 23rd, 2021 7:23 am

    I must be reading this backwards. They approve NO INCREASE 4-0 and the next meeting is to APPROVE THE INCREASE. was Century knowingly trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public OR JUST THE WHOLE SHEEP! city attorney looks like he was going along with it.

  2. Lou on September 22nd, 2021 11:14 pm

    Century Citizen’s: dissolved the town charter; go back to Escambia regime. It is the same but more funding, and a bid more service’s for your tax dollar. A better dog and ponny show for tax payers. Good luck and take action now.

  3. MICHAEL WEBER on September 22nd, 2021 9:33 am

    We watch this unending comedy of errors, and are never surprised at what these clowns do next. Who will step up and help organize an effort to shut the TOC down by petition drive or otherwise?

  4. tg on September 22nd, 2021 8:01 am

    Help me figure this out give buildings away for a dollar and tax people more that will work.

  5. DK on September 22nd, 2021 6:41 am

    My 5 year old grandson could do a better job than these Circus Clown’s

  6. sam on September 22nd, 2021 5:38 am

    let’s hope they mess it up again to the citizens advantage. we need a break.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News