Rochester City Council adopts 2024 tax levy
[anvplayer video=”5192733″ station=”998128″]
(ABC 6 News) – This is something the Rochester City Council has been discussing at previous meetings, but some said the levy is already too high.
Despite those concerns, the city council felt it was something that needed to be addressed.
As of right now, the preliminary levy would be 9.44% but that could go down.
In other words, the current percentage serves as the ceiling and it cannot be increased.
One way the tax levy is going to be used is to give Rochester city department employees raises.
This is something the city council has been discussing at previous meetings, but some said the levy is already too high. Despite those concerns, the city council felt it was something that needed to be addressed.
However, some council members don’t feel comfortable with the increased levy to keep operations going.
“I just don’t feel great right now when I look at the out years and say we’re still going to be in this 7 to 9 percent sort of numbers just to keep services going,” councilmember Patrick Keane said.
The preliminary tax levy equates to $101,530,873 and it includes establishing the operating and capital budget of $575,407,860 for the city.
Some worry the levy amount is too much, including Councilmember Molly Dennis, who was the only one to vote no on the levy. Other councilmembers believe it’s necessary to support the city as it continues to grow.
“How do we expect to pay for infrastructure in a city that is growing at the rate we are growing,” councilmember Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick said.
State law requires local governments to adopt the preliminary property tax levy by Sept. 29.
The city council will gather on Dec. 4 for the public hearing and final adoption of the recommended 2024 tax levy and budget.