Proposed budget averts tax increase

(5/9) The current, proposed Emmitsburg budget for 2014-2015 will not necessitate a need for a tax increase if adopted in the recommended amount.

Mayor Donald Briggs presented his proposed budget for the coming year to the board of commissioners at their May 5 meeting.

The budget was presented to the board to begin the process of adopting a 2014-2014 budget and was not discussed in detail at the meeting.

The details of the proposed budget will be considered at upcoming meetings of the board of commissioners as it winds its way towards final adoption no later than the second town meeting in June.

The amount of the proposed budget was also not discussed at the meeting. However, town Administrative Assistant Cathy Willets told the News-Journal subsequent to the meeting that the budget was proposed by the mayor in the amount of $1,702,793 for the general fund.

Mayor Briggs did state at the meeting that the proposed budget would not entail a tax increase, and would permit keeping the constant yield (real estate) tax at the current rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed real estate value.

The proposed budget also will permit a two percent increase in a cost-of-living increase for town employees, if approved. "This is in line with the county’s and area towns’ budgets, and is in line with the consumer price index," Briggs said.

The budget also includes a "provision for the set-up of a pre-formatted, new town website," he said.

The water and sewer enterprise funds were allocated $1,348,476 in the proposed budget, but these are supported by service charges and not through taxation.