Local News
WOCC adopts budget
Tax rate to remain unchanged
West Orange city council members adopted the budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
For the 11th year in a row, the tax rate will remain the same at $0.42939/100 assessed value.
“We are proud of that,” said Mayor Roy McDonald.
This year’s budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $10,000 or 2.27 percent and of that amount, $3,344 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year, according to information from the city.
City officials have budgeted more than $3.1 million to cover expenditures for the next fiscal year. Some of the larger costs to the budget are in the departments such as general administration at a cost of $417,040, sanitation at $567,423 and streets at $573,188. The largest cost to the budget is the police department at $1,038,719.
McDonald said since the hurricane, “the citizens have pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps.”
“West Orange is coming back,” McDonald added.
In addition, he said the city is trying to assist the citizens any way they can. Following FEMA debris pickup, the city still managed to pick up more than 9,000 cubic yards of debris at a cost of $72,000.
He noted many residents have recently pulled permits to repair their residences. McDonald wants to encourage citizens to “come back and rebuild.”
In other city business, the Holiday in the Park festival is set for November 7. Booth reservations are being accepted. Only 18 non-electric booths remain.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at the West Orange Community Center located at 2700 Western Avenue.
Debby Schamber is a reporter for the Orange Leader. She can be reached at 409-883-3571 ext. 2609 or at dschamber@orangeleader.com.
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