The Cole County Commission could approve the 2020 tax levy next week.
The commission sets two tax levy rates each year - general revenue and public works. Both are due Sept. 1.
Last year, the commission set the tax levy at 7.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for general revenue and 27.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for public works.
Since 2009, commissioners have been reducing the general fund rate with a 60 percent rollback in tax collection because of the 2008 sales tax approved by voters to pay for ambulance and service operations. The county's plan raised money through a half-cent sales tax, with 60 percent of the money collected used to reduce taxes for all Cole County property owners. The rest of the money collected pays for the ambulance service.
Because the first six months of 2019 was lower than the last six months of 2019 on sales tax collections, and the assessed valuation is up for 2020 over 2019, "the general revenue rate we will have after the calculation is lower for 2020 than 2019 - going from 7.8 cents to 7 cents," Cole County Finance Officer Debbie Malzner said.
Malzner suggested the commission set the general revenue fund levy at 7 cents, down from 7.8 cents, to level out sales tax versus property tax. She also suggested the public works levy stay at 27.2 cents.
"It is totally up to the commission as to what tax levy rate we need to set," Malzner said. "The bad thing about setting the tax levy by Sept. 1 is that it is before you know what kind of budget needs are coming in the budget for 2021, but this is set by Missouri state statutes."
A public hearing on the levy will be held at the commission meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the commission chambers on the second floor of the county annex building on East High Street in Jefferson City.