Despite receiving less money this year from the state, Bedford County supervisors kept true to their promise Monday not to raise taxes in next year’s budget.
The supervisors agreed to advertise tax rates identical to those already in place, which means they can’t raise taxes to support the new budget once advertisements are printed, but they can lower it if they wish.
Personal property taxes and the real estate tax of 50 cents per $100 of assessed land value remained even to support a budget with a general fund of nearly $88 million.
Supervisors also agreed to move $112,000 from the school division’s textbook fund over to the division’s operating fund in hopes of it going to teacher pay raises.
Chairman Steve Arrington said the supervisors have no control over how the local school division spends its portion, but they are encouraging the division to give teachers a pay raise to bring them in line with surrounding localities.
Arrington also said it was a struggle to keep taxes from going up, which meant much of the county funding this year had to remain level. A reduction in state allocations was an even greater challenge and he said it could be an even greater struggle the next time around to keep taxes low.
“Next year, there is no question, it’s going to be tough,” Arrington said.
The county will advertise the budget and new tax rates starting Sunday. The public can comment on them April 7 at the Bedford Science and Technology Center at 600 Edmund St.
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