Christian Fiscal Court approved a property tax ordinance on first-reading at Tuesday morning’s meeting that resulted in another decrease to the real property tax rate, but still reflects a four percent increase in revenue.
The 2024 property tax rate would be 17.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, down from 18.1 percent, and would allow for the county to take the maximum four percent increase in revenue. That new rate would collect an estimated $8 million in revenue—when added with the other tax levies in the county, there would be an estimated $9 million in receipts.
Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam explained that being able to take the compensating rate while lowering the rate overall is a good thing.
He says it shows that the county is experiencing growth and that he, his administration and the Fiscal Court are doing all they can to keep that momentum going while remaining responsible.
County tangible rates would be 18.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, motor vehicles would be 11.6 cents, as would watercraft vehicles.
During public comments, magistrates heard from CJ Hale, the founder of animal rescue Haven 12:10 Animal Sanctuary, as she told the story of Gabriel, a stray dog who was badly sick and needed help. She was able to get the dog from where he was found abandoned in northern Christian County and take him to the Christian County Animal, where he was humanely euthanized due the state of his very bad health.
Hale says she doesn’t mind at all helping where she’s needed—but she’s only one person who can’t cover the whole county on her own, so she believes it’s time to discuss some type of animal control in the county.Â
Hale says the county has a lot of great agencies, such as the Christian County Animal Shelter, the Humane Society, Max’s Hope Pet Rescue and more, that do all they can, but they don’t have the resources or the funding to travel a county of this size to pick up animals in need.
In other action, magistrates approved a recommendation to increase the jail weekends fees for individuals from $25 to $40, and approved a grant application from the Christian County Clerk to seek funds for various election equipment.