Pikeville to make cuts, say 'no' to more taxes
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on May 24, 2009 2:00 AM
With one more budget workshop to go before the public hearing on June 23, Pikeville officials are hopeful that they will be able to approve a 2009-10 spending plan without raising any taxes.
However, said Town Administrator Kathie Fields, they may have to increase the flat electric rate -- the rate that residents and businesses pay whether they have any usage or not.
She did not know, though, how much that increase might be.
"The biggest discussion is over electric rates," she said.
But, she continued, the town is adamant about trying to hold the line on the current 60 cents per $100 ad valorem tax rate.
"We have no pay increases, and we have cut all of our budgets at least 5 percent. Because of the economy we're really trying to do everything we can to help the citizens," Ms. Fields said.
All total, the town's budget is projected to be approximately $2.2 million -- down about $77,000 from last year.
And the biggest expenditure in the new budget, she said, is expected to be whatever work is done to town hall.
"We want to do something with the town hall. We haven't made a decision, though, whether that'll be renovations or new construction," she said. "That would be the big project for the year."