County tax rate on track to hold steady in '09
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By STEPHANIE M. PETERS Herald Staff - Published: January 8, 2009
It's a tax many Rutland County residents don't even realize they pay — but at least they will not have to worry about it rising this year.
The proposed county budget is projected to increase by about $21,000, but a spike in income generated outside of taxes will keep the tax rate that is figured into property taxes in each town at a steady $0.00771 for the coming fiscal year. The proposed budget calls for $689,619, compared to last year's figure of $668,929.
If the budget is approved at the county's annual meeting on Jan. 29, that rate will be comparable to what taxpayers saw this year after a $30,000 surplus was returned to them, lowering the rate from $0.00871 to about $0.0077, according to Assistant Judge Jean Coloutti. However, final figures for the county's current grand list value or a surplus once the numbers are finalized for the current fiscal year could lower that number still further, she said. The fiscal year ends Jan. 31.
"It's been a tough year for everybody, I'm sure, but we think the county budget is in pretty good stead," said Coloutti, who along with Assistant Judge Marlene Burke drafted the county's budget. The budget funds the Superior Court, small claims and probate court and the Rutland County Sheriff's Department.
Keeping the tax rate down was a boost from an unlikely side effect of the current economic woes — an increase in revenue from small claims court filings. In 2007-08 the county budgeted for $48,000 in revenue from small claims, but saw an actual figure for the year of $87,922. In 2008-09, the budget called for $68,000 in revenue from small claims, and for the coming year that figure has been increased to $110,000. About half of the 1,441 small claims filings the court saw this year came from credit card companies and debt collection agencies, and with no indication that the economic picture will soon improve, Coloutti said she and Burke, who preside over small claims cases, do not expect to see their volume of cases drop off.
"It assists us because it's income that we don't have to tax the county taxpayer," Coloutti said. At the same time, the court is "very concerned" by this volume and the taxpayers affected by these cases, and has begun requiring the companies to prove their claims in court with the proper documentation to ensure they're legitimate, she said.
On the expense side, the county is seeing about a $20,000 increase to its personnel costs due largely to benefits; a $10,000 increase in utility costs that comes from locking in a fuel price of $4.39 a gallon during the summer; a $2,000 increase due to increased liability insurance; a $7,500 increase to the cost of contracted services anticipated for accounting services; and a $13,000 increase in the budget of the sheriff's department. There were cuts, too — neither debt retirement nor capital expenses were budgeted this year, which will save the county about $15,000, and the budget for office equipment was cut by more than $7,000.
A copy of the budget and explanatory narratives from Coloutti and Burke, and Sheriff Stephen P. Bernard were sent to each municipality in early December for any feedback, however Coloutti said they have not heard from anyone this year. Attendance at the annual meeting is typically light, too — a fact Coloutti attributes to the thorough and transparent information her office provides taxpayers.
Contact Stephanie M. Peters at stephanie.peters@rutlandherald.com.
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