Health center proposing lower tax rate for 2013

The Jefferson County Health Center Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2013 fiscal year budget at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the health center?s conference room.

The health center board is proposing a tax rate of 1.89685 per $1,000 valuation.

The taxation rate is decreasing from the current $1,94323 per $1,000 taxable valuation, but because the total property value in Jefferson County is up, the health center?s tax asking will still bring an estimated $1,247,792, explained chief financial officer Gene Irwin.

?In terms of dollars, it is the same as last year,? he told the board?s finance/HR committee earlier this month.

Total property value in Jefferson County is up roughly 6.5 percent, resulting in a 3.4 percent increase in value for local taxing bodies to levy against.

In a report to the Jefferson County Conference Board Dec. 29, county assessor Sheri Blough Neff cited $1.069 billion in assessed value at the start of the year. Minus nearly $163 million in exempt property value, the net taxable value is just under $671 million.

The heath center?s public hearing Feb. 27 is open to the public. Any resident or taxpayer may present objections to, or arguments in favor of, any part of the proposed budget.

The notice in the Feb. 14 Ledger is only a summary of the supporting detail of receipts and expenditures on file with the secretary. Copies of the Supplemental Budget Detail can be furnished on request. Call the hospital administrative office at 472-4111.