Looking at the highs and lows of budgets

Durham residents can expect their city property taxes to almost quadruple in 2014. Even with the big percentage increase Durham will have the second lowest taxes of any city in the county.

An estimated tax rate of 28.054 mills proposed in Durham’s 2014 budget will pay for repairs to streets and the city’s sewer pond and water tower, Mayor Mike Sorensen said Monday.

The city wouldn’t be able to make those repairs without increasing its mill levy.

“It’s going to take several years to do what we need to do,” Sorensen said.

Despite increasing by 295 percent, the city tax bill on a home appraised at $85,000 will be only $274.

Lost Springs has the lowest city taxes in the county, $168 on an $85,000 home.

At the other end of the spectrum is Ramona, with four times the taxes of Durham.

County Treasurer Jeannine Bateman said Ramona is still paying off a costly utility project that went on the books in 2003.

Other than those outliers, city taxes on an $85,000 home range from $391 in Hillsboro to $777 in Florence.