Marion may seek bigger tax levy
Staff writer
Marion City Council members got a tutorial on creating a budget Monday, and it appears the city will announce plans to exceed the revenue neutral rate.
Accountant Scot Loyd brought a sample budget based on last year’s city budget and went over it with council members. He said he assumed the city would set a revenue neutral budget, but if council members wanted to exceed revenue neutral, they must take a number of special steps.
July 20 is the last day to notify the county clerk of intent to levy above revenue neutral rates and provide the clerk with a proposed tax rate and hearing dates.
The clerk will notify taxpayers by mail or email of all taxing subdivisions exceeding the revenue neutral rate at least 10 days before to the first budget hearing in the county.
A public hearing must be held between Aug. 20 and Sept. 20, and the date must be published 10 days prior to the hearing.
If the city passes a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate before it adopts a budget, it then can formally adopt the budget any time after the resolution is passed.
The budget must be certified and provided to the clerk by Oct. 1.
Revenue would increase $9,400 if the city kept last year’s mill, he said.
“I think we should give notice that we will exceed the revenue neutral rate just because,” Mayor Mike Powers told council members.
Loyd said the council had done nothing to the budget so far and had much work to do before it will be finished.
“That definitely was just the first round,” Loyd said.
Council members asked Loyd to talk about the budget process with them because City Administrator Bryan Wells is new to working in Kansas, Loyd said.