Cherokee Tribune – Canton to adopt tax rate budget

CANTON — The Canton City Council is set tonight to adopt the budget and tax rate for fiscal 2014, following the final of three public hearings at 6 p.m.

The proposed budget on the table for approval by the City Council would raise the city’s millage rate from 6.8 mills to 7.98 mills, an increase of about 18 percent, but several members of the council said Wednesday they are still trying to decide how much the increase should be, or if one is needed.

Within in the present version of the budget, all city employees would get a cost-of-living raise, the Canton Police Department would receive $200,000 in additional funding, and $500,000 would go to the city fire department to hire nine new city firefighters.

During the hearing last Thursday, Canton residents and Councilman Glen Cummins strongly criticized the tax increase and other members of the council’s insistence on hiring the new fire personnel, primarily because Canton Fire Chief Dean Floyd hasn’t requested the employees.

After hearing the concerns, Councilmen Bill Bryan and John Beresford, who had previously advocated the tax increase, said they were rethinking things. The two also said they would give thought to changes Cummins suggested to the budget, which would leave the millage rate at 6.8 for 2014.

via Cherokee Tribune – Canton to adopt tax rate budget.