Cumberland adopts unchanged real estate tax rate

The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors has adopted an unchanged real estate tax rate but has decided to continue working on its 2010 budget.

The board was scheduled to adopt a $29.2 million budget during its Tuesday meeting but put it off at the request of two members. The board decided to hold at least one more work session and is scheduled to adopt a budget April 30. State law requires localities to adopt a school-system budget by May 1.

"I am still not comfortable with this budget," Supervisor Timothy Kennell said.

Supervisor Elbert R. Womack said he wants the board to make sure it has done all it can to stretch tax dollars. "We as a board would be doing an injustice to ourselves if we did not sit down and take a look at this budget," he said.

Chairman William Osl Jr. and Supervisors Van H. Petty and Robert J. Oertel said they were prepared to adopt a budget but yielded to the wishes of their colleagues and scheduled another budget work session for Tuesday.

"We have cut places and double-cut some places," Petty said. "I don't know if there is any more meat left on the bone. I don't know what else we can do."

The 2009 budget is $30 million.

The board also put off adoption of the county's five-year capital-improvement plan.

Cumberland's real estate tax rate will remain 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 this year, it has been set at $2.20 per $100 of assessed value.

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