Prince George supervisors vote to keep current tax rate

The Prince George County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday to keep tax rates unchanged.

Officials voted unanimously to maintain the real estate tax rate of 80 cents per $100 of assessed value and $4 per $100 of personal property value.

At the average value -- $212,500 -- for residential property in the county, a homeowner would pay about $1,700 in real estate taxes this year.

County officials said they wished to keep the current rates despite a tight budget ahead for the fiscal year 2009-2010.

County Administrator John G. Kines Jr. has proposed a $45.8 million general fund budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, based on the current rates. The budget, however, reflects a more than 4 percent decrease from the current general-fund budget of $47.9 million.

Five county positions that have been vacant for more than six months are eliminated in the budget, Kines said.

The proposed budget funds all current employees' salaries and changes a part-time position in the office of the commissioner of the revenue to full time. No merit or cost-of-living raises are included. The plan also does not include new capital-improvement projects.

Kines said that in these times of financial constraints, the county's priorities will be maintaining services and avoiding layoffs.

The board is expected to have a final vote on the 2009-2010 budget at its next meeting, April 14.

Contact Luz Lazo at (804) 649-6058 or .