Royal City City Council adopts 1% tax increase

ROYAL CITY – It's city budget time in Royal City, and the City Council has already taken one critical vote. It decided at the Oct. 20 meeting to raise the property tax assessment by one percent.

That is one percent of the current city levy, not one percent of your entire property tax levy.

“We had to get that done and in to the county. Otherwise they'd use the old levy, and we'd get the same revenue as last year,” City Finance Director Greg Pike said.

Property taxes go into the city's general fund. This year they totaled $62,000. With the change in tax rate, they will total about $63,000 next year.

At the meeting of Nov. 3, Pike submitted the preliminary city budget to the Council. It was discussed at a public hearing, and there was no public comment.

The preliminary budget may be discussed at the meeting of Nov. 17. Meanwhile, there will be copies of it at city hall, available for public inspection and comment.

In the next step in the budget process, Pike will submit a final budget to the Council on Dec. 1. After a public hearing at 7 p.m., it will likely be adopted that night. The date for filing it is Dec. 31.

In other business, the Council approved a consent agenda that included the minutes from the Council meeting of Oct.6. It also contained a payroll of $22,220.60 for Oct. 15 and claims in the amount of $28,579.92.

The treasury report for September was presented. Major expenditures in September included payments for street improvements and debt service. Final payment on the community center loan was made in September.

The Council authorized the mayor to sign an agreement with Grant County Health District for 2016 allowing for a contribution of $1 per person, based on city population

Public Works Director John Lasen reported that he and Mayor Kent Anderson went to an auction in Chehalis and found, examined and purchased a street sweeper for $7,500. It needs a few minor repairs, he said.