Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and members of the City Council have given us what would be bad news at any time, but is especially bad news in this time of economic recession.
They say there is a prospect of higher city property taxes.
Our Chattanooga property tax rate currently is $1.94 per $100 of assessed property valuation. No one wants it increased.
But as our officials have been working on efforts to balance the city budget for the coming year, they say they have had just two options: 1. Cuts in proposed city services, or 2. Higher property taxes.
Facing those two options, city officials report they already have cut about as much as they can, leaving higher taxes as the unwelcome possibility.
Higher taxes are never “popular.” And at a time of recession, when unemployment is high and when many people are being inconvenienced economically, the prospect of a city property tax increase is highly objectionable.
The recession has pinched the city just as it has pinched its residents, resulting in less city revenue.
Whatever our officials decide, many citizens will strongly resent either reduced city services or increased city taxes — or both.
The last city property tax increase was 48 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation, in 2001. That brought the current tax rate of $1.94 per $100 of assessed property value.
Are further cuts in city services and city spending possible? Are higher property taxes inevitable? If so, how much?
Nobody’s saying now. The news will be bad for our people, however this problem is eventually resolved.
Just think, lots of our people run for the offices of mayor and City Council member, hoping they will be elected — and have the responsibility to face such choices.