Tax increase not in Cumberland budget

The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors is considering a $29.1 million budget that does not call for a tax increase.

No residents attended Tuesday's public hearing on the county's proposed fiscal 2010 budget.

Jill Matthews, assistant county administrator, said this was a difficult budget year. "We are faced with reductions in state and federal funding, unanticipated project delays and expected revenue reductions due to the ailing economy," she said.

The current budget is $30 million.

The proposed budget calls for leaving the real estate tax rate at 59 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the personal property tax rate at $4.40 per $100 of assessed value.

Last year, the county set the personal property tax rate for emergency services personnel at 1 cent per $100 of assessed value, but the new budget calls for the rate to be $2.20 per $100 of assessed value.

The change was made in agreement with the advisory emergency services committee, whose members determined that the amount of tax relief for emergency services personnel "was far more than they expected and they were more than willing to accept the 50 percent discount," Matthews said.

The proposed budget does not include raises, and there were operation budget cuts in every department and agency, Matthews said.

The board is scheduled to adopt the budget at its meeting Tuesday.

The proposed budget includes about $15.7 million for the school operating fund, consisting of $10.3 million in state funds, $1.9 million in federal funds and $3.4 million in local funds. The school budget sees a reduction in local and federal funds, and a slight overall total reduction from the current budget of $16.2 million.

Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 223-3678 or .