Posted on October 19, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Starke County Council members want to meet later this year with state officials to discuss options for thawing the county’s frozen property tax levy. That’s the cap on the amount of money the county can raise each year to cover expenses. Discussion at Monday night’s meeting indicates it’s not keeping pace with inflation.
Auditor Kay Chaffins says sets a growth rate and assumes each county matches or exceeds it. She says Starke County consistently falls short of the state’s annual benchmark. Councilman Dave Pearman characterized the growth as “flat or negative” and suggested the county prepare for the worst.
“If we’re going to try to make things fly as is, I think the caution that we’re going to throw to the wind is every department start seeing what you can live without. Because this has happened twice in the history of Starke County, and what they did was laid a bunch of people off,” Pearman said. That occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.
Pearman also encourages everyone at the county level with connections down state to talk to lawmakers and other government officials about the tax levy issue. He says the only properties that are going up in value are those at Bass and Koontz Lakes. Everything else is well under 100 percent.
Council members note residential properties make up the bulk of the property tax base, as abatements have been issued for most commercial properties. County Attorney Marty Lucas says in theory bringing industry into a community will improve residential housing stock and solidify the tax base.
Any action to thaw the levy, which would allow for an increase in taxes and assessed values, would require state approval.
The council approved the county’s $10 million budget. It will now be submitted to the state for final consideration.
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