As governments make money-saving changes and cutbacks, local governments are left scrambling to make ends meet under the resultant budgetary shortfalls.
“We local governments are going to have to decide what we’re going to do, because we cannot afford to pick up everything,” said Collegedale City Manager Ted Rogers. “There will come a day when we have to say no.”
That day may be rapidly approaching, as Collegedale residents are facing a definite tax increase. Just keeping the library open will cost citizens 18 more cents in property taxes.
“The library is not the only thing driving the tax increase, although it’s a large part of it,” Rogers told commissioners after requesting a 22-cent tax increase during their budget workshop. “What concerns me about this tax increase is, yes, there are costs of doing business, but the majority of this is being passed down to us.”
Collegedale, like every other local municipality, will now be charged a 1 percent sales tax commission by the county for distributing the money. The state-allowed measure will cost the city around $24,000.