Fri Nov 20 2009
By TODD HELBERG
Defiance County voters will be asked to approve something of a rarity on Nov. 3 -- a tax cut.
The issue is a proposed five-year renewal of the county's enhanced 911 levy which, if approved, will go from 1.2 mills to 1 mill. For many property owners this would represent a decrease -- literally -- of dollars and cents.
It would reduce annual taxes for Defiance County residences by the following amounts, based on specific property values: $50,000, 58 cents; $75,000, 88 cents; $100,000, $1.16; $150,000, $1.74; and $200,000, $2.32.
The tax amounts would be slightly less for owner-occupied residences, which would receive a further 2.5 percent reduction.
The 1-mill levy would generate approximately $700,000 annually while the current 1.2-mill assessment should generate about $845,000 this year.
E-911 center director Carol Armitage said there are several reasons for the smaller millage.
When the 911 levy was last renewed in 2004, the millage increased from .7 mill to 1.2 mills because the center assumed dispatching duties from Defiance. Rough estimates of how much extra money would be needed to hire additional dispatchers proved a little high, she said.
In addition, new equipment was needed in 2004 as another dispatching unit was added.
Finally, a new state revenue source -- assessed as a surcharge on cell phone bills -- became available, and generates about $90,000 annually.
The E-911 center's budget this year is $782,000, Armitage noted, which can be covered by the 1-mill levy and the cell phone surcharge.
County voters first approved a 911 levy in 1995 at .9 mill for five years. It has since been renewed in 1999 (.7 mill) and 2004 (1.2 mills).
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