Commerce council adopts tax rate — up 1.71 mills

Following three public hearings which not one single person attended, the Commerce City Council accepted its budget and set its property tax rate for 2012 Monday night.

On a motion by Steve Perry, seconded by Johnny Eubanks, the council set the tax rate at 4.02 mills, an increase of 1.71 mills from last year. The vote was unanimous, and there was no discussion. Property taxes are expected to bring in $691,755 — about 2.4 percent of a $24 million budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.

Prior to taking action, the council held its third of three public hearings to accept citizen comments. No one appeared for the 5:30 hearing, which the council kept open for 15 minutes. Nor did anyone appear at public hearings held at noon and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Commerce Civic Center.

Mayor Clark Hill called the tax rate and tax increase “much better than the worst-case scenario, but not quite as good as we’d hoped it would be.”

In other action, the council unanimously appointed former city clerk and election superintendent Shirley Willis to serve as the election superintendent for the city’s special election Tuesday, Nov. 6, regarding referenda on allowing the Sunday sales of alcohol by the drink in restaurants and the Sunday sale of beer and wine by the package.

The voting will be concurrent with the Nov. 6 general election, but voters will mark paper ballots for the special election.

“This should be the last election the county won’t do for us,” Hill advised, referring to the fact that Jackson County will in the future conduct all city elections.