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Mayor Reed: rising city costs may mean larger property tax increases than $20–$30; missing-middle housing a priority
Summary
Mayor Stephen L. Reed said municipal costs for public safety and services are rising and suggested homeowners should expect more than minor property-tax increases; he highlighted efforts to create 'missing middle' housing to retain buyers and the need to fund police, firefighters and 9-1-1 operators.
Mayor Stephen L. Reed said Montgomery homeowners should be prepared for property-tax increases larger than a $20–$30 change as the city budgets for public-safety pay and other services.
"The cost of doing government, and particularly good government, gets more expensive. We've got to pay our police officers more. We've got to pay our firefighters more, our 9 11 operators more," Reed said, linking personnel costs to the city's fiscal needs.
In the interview Reed addressed a specific figure mentioned in the conversation, saying the change would not be a small $20 or $30 amount and suggesting examples in the discussion on the order of "$150 to $200" for some homeowners, though he did not present a formal council figure or ordinance. The mayor did not offer a precise, city-approved dollar amount in the podcast.
Reed framed the tax conversation around the city’s broader development goals. He said Montgomery must be safe and offer quality public schools to retain residents and attract new homebuyers. "What we were just talking about recently is how do we build out that missing middle, home buyer right here so we don't lose them to other communities, and they can stay right in our city," he said.
Reed said the investments tied to the property-tax conversation include public-safety staffing, parks and other services that support a growing city and changing expectations for infrastructure.
No ordinance, vote or specific tax rate was announced during the interview. Reed described the figures discussed as illustrative of fiscal pressures rather than a finalized proposal.
