Brentwood Town board sets tax rate at $17.13, opts not to draw on fund balance

The Brentwood Town board voted to set the town—s tax rate at $17.13 and to retain the current fund balance, board members said during a brief discussion and roll call vote.

Members opened the discussion with staff calculations showing the practical effect of alternative rates on typical homes: Speaker 2 and Speaker 1 presented figures showing that at a 5% rate a $600,000 home would face a town tax amount of $10,182, while a roughly 5.83% figure would produce $10,278 — a difference of about $96 per year on that example. Speaker 3 argued the difference was too small to justify drawing down reserves.

"I personally don't think it's worth it. I think we leave the fund balance alone," Speaker 3 said, saying the town should continue rebuilding reserves rather than pursue a small reduction for homeowners.

After members discussed intermediate rate options and budget posture, Speaker 2 moved to set the tax rate at $17.13 and to leave the fund balance intact; Speaker 3 seconded the motion. The board proceeded with a vocal roll-call-style affirmation. Several members responded "Aye." During the roll call the meeting experienced brief technical interruptions for at least one participant; the clerk then read names in confirmation, recording Jim, Bob, Paul and Buddy as voting in favor. One participant, Andy, dropped from the call before final confirmation.

The board also scheduled a signing of the documents on Tuesday and asked that three members come in to sign to finalize the paperwork. The meeting adjourned following a motion to end the session.

The action formalizes the board—s decision to set the town rate at $17.13 and to avoid using the fund balance to alter that outcome. No ordinance number, statute citation, or further fiscal detail was specified in the record during the discussion.