Supervisor outlines 4‑cent tax plan, with most revenue for public safety

A supervisor briefed the council on the upcoming budget calendar and a proposed 4‑cent real‑property tax increase intended to address staffing and service shortfalls countywide.

Why it matters: The proposal would raise local property tax bills modestly while directing most new revenue toward fire and public‑safety staffing — a near‑term change that could affect municipal budgets and housing policy.

The supervisor summarized key dates in the budget process and said the county will advertise a proposed budget and hold public hearings later in the month. On the proposed tax adjustment, he said the plan “calls for a 4¢ real property tax increase” and laid out a distribution he described as roughly 3.2 cents for public‑safety costs (fire staffing and additional officers), 0.4 cents to school operating budgets and 0.4 cents to the county’s housing trust to help buy down the gap between market and affordable rates for higher‑density developments.

He told councilors the surge in assessment values is driven largely by single‑family detached home values and that population growth of roughly 2% year‑over‑year will continue to add demand for services. The supervisor said federal grant funding (for example, SAFER grants used to hire firefighting staff) has helped transition hires but that the staffing increases are the primary driver of the proposed revenue change.

Council members asked about how the increase would be calculated on individual tax bills and whether the school share was adequate; the supervisor acknowledged that some residents had asked for higher spending but noted constitutional and legal limits on differential tax treatments across jurisdictions.

What’s next: The supervisor said the county will finalize budget posting and hold public hearings; councilors will have an opportunity to provide comment during the advertised period and at the hearings.