Land values down over 3%; tax hike likely to meet next year’s Northumberland budget

Megan Schiffres

by Megan Schiffres

HEATHSVILLE—The Northumberland board of supervisors on Thursday, April 30, tackled the county’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2020-21. The board is considering a $43,873,687 budget, up 4.2%, or $1,777,487, compared to the current budget.

The proposed budget would require a real estate tax rate increase of five cents. This increase is due in part to the county’s recent real estate assessment which decreased property value in the county by 3.33%, according to county administrator Luttrell Tadlock.

“With the decreased real estate assessment, the real estate tax rate would need to be increased from the current rate of $0.59/$100 to an equalized rate of $0.6184/$100 to levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year. In the proposed budget, a tax rate of $.64/$100 is being examined and is what is being advertised for the budget public hearings in order to cover potential expenses,” Tadlock said.

As proposed, estimated expenditures by category total…

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