Limestone County sets 56.5-cent proposed tax rate for posting, schedules Sept. 17 budget hearing

Limestone County officials voted to post a proposed tax rate of 56.5 cents for 2024 and scheduled a public hearing and special meeting to adopt the FY2024 budget on Sept. 17 at 9 a.m.

The chair proposed the 56.5-cent figure as a procedural step to allow staff and board members time to assemble detailed numbers, emphasizing that a posted proposed rate can be lowered later but not increased. "I propose 56 and a half cents as our proposed tax rate to be voted on when we go down here further in the agenda," the committee member who offered the motion said.

The move followed questions from members about the county’s expenses and hiring capacity. One committee member asked where the money would come from for cost-of-living increases and to make the county competitive for hiring, and a staff member reported that adopting a lower tax rate such as 54.7 cents would create a roughly $2.9 million gap that would need to be taken from the general fund. "2.9 Million is going to be the total that's just 2.9 Million we're going to take out of our general fund," the staff member said.

Board members also cautioned against relying on one-time revenues. A participant warned that funds expected from new solar-farm appraisals and a $4.75 million land payment should not be used to create permanent positions: "I hate to see us put permanent positions in on monies that will then be going away every year," the speaker said.

Earlier in the meeting an initial motion to set the proposed rate was put to a voice vote and was announced as having died; the board then revisited the question, reintroduced the 56.5-cent proposed rate and carried it on a subsequent voice vote. The chair said the second move was intended primarily to "buy time" so elected officials and staff could finalize the budget figures.

In addition to the rate decision, the board moved into a budget workshop during which staff and members discussed the senior services program, noting roughly $5,000 currently available to that program and that the county may need to assume management. The board then made a motion to announce the adoption hearing and public hearing for the FY2024 budget on Sept. 17 at 9 a.m.; the motion passed.

The board said the posted proposed rate will appear on required notices ahead of the adoption hearing, and members indicated they expect to revisit the rate or make adjustments before final adoption at the Sept. 17 meeting.