County proposing increase in boat tax

MC supervisors present $30. 3 million budget, includes 7% teacher pay hikes

by Larry Chowning –

The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors (MCBS) voted 4-1 on Tuesday, April 5 to advertise a $30,303,977 budget that will lower the real estate tax rate by a penny and raise the boat tax back up to its original 98 cents per $100 in value on five-ton and heavier boats.

The proposed FY23 budget also calls for funding a 7% raise for teachers and school employees. However, there was much discussion by the board to lower raises to 5%.

Hartfield representative John Koontz cast the lone vote against against the proposed budget he said because he wanted to keep the real estate tax rate at 62 cents, eliminate the boat tax all together and raise teacher salaries to 8%.

The proposed 61 cents tax on $100 worth of real estate will mean a real estate tax jump for most county landowners in Middlesex. The rate is tied to the new county reassessment that jumped real estate values up in the county by about 11%. The equated cent amount on the rate is still under study, said County Administrator Matt Walker. It could be at 61 cents equates to as much as a six-cent tax rate increase…