Did Red Bank learn its lesson on tax rate?
When you run a city and you set your tax rate, it is your responsibility to double- and triple-check your rate. The City of Red Bank must live for an entire year on the money that it collects from property taxes. The city manager started out with the rate that he needed to survive the year. He told the commissioners what rate he thought was needed, and the commissioners approved that rate.
(IN THE NEWS: Debate over state law heightens Red Bank certified tax rate arguments)
When the county assessor sent the rate to the city manager and commissioners, no one bothered to check the rate he had listed. Anyone can make a mistake, but when your city depends on the money collected, it is the responsibility of the city manager, city commissioners and city accountant to make certain the rate the county assessor sent to the city is what they originally decided on.
I cannot imagine not making sure that your calculations for your tax rate are not checked, then checked again and then checked one more time before signing off on it.