RFP Staff
♦ With scandal enveloping Salisbury’s city hall since the unexplained “mutual termination” of City Manger Doug Paris and the hasty resignation of Information Officer Elaney Hasselmann, City Council voted Monday to raise the tax rate $1.95, the water-sewer rate 2.45%, and the solid waste fee a dollar. Salisbury’s property tax rate will climb to 65.69 cents per $100 of valuation and Fibrant’s already pricey TV rates increased as well.
With greatly diminished city services and a recently downgraded bond rating by Moody’s in the wake of the Fibrant fiasco, Salisbury’s finances were fighting for a fix. Salisbury’s taxpayers got nailed yesterday and even Rowan-Salisbury utility purchasers, out in the county, felt the heavy weight of the city’s mushrooming Fibrant debacle. The city continued to make lame excuses for their heavy taxation by trying to place the blame on the state legislature for their scheduled timing out of the “hold harmless” funds.
All hikes go into effect on July 1st of the new fiscal calendar.
Major cuts from the city 2014-2015 budget include:
• $90,582 cut from street light funding which may affect much needed anti-crime street lighting in the West End.
• $45,000 cut from streets resurfacing and an additional $33,000 from a resurfacing survey.
• $20,000 chopped in expected grant monies.
• $35,000 in costs that were to be applied to the Chesnut Hill neighborhood’s historic district status.
• $24,900 from the GIS coordinator position.
Restorations to the city 2014-2015 budget.
• $4,500 for anti-gang funds.
• $2,000 for “Pops at the Post”
• $5,000 for Communities in the Schools
• $20,000 for Innes Street grant.
• $4,500 for Dixonville Cemetery project.
• $10,000 for Salisbury Youth Council.
We will link to the approved Salisbury Budget 2014-2015 as soon as it is posted on the Salisbury City Government website.
