TAXES

He said the county tax rate of about $2 per $1,000 of assessment is commendable, and the county must continue to work to deliver services for the lowest cost.

The county built its new courthouse for $4 million, he said, and “we have paid the entire project with the mortgage tax.”

The county used a local mortgage tax of $1.25 per $500 of property value to pay for the courthouse and is now using that for the $35 million County Jail in Lewis, which has a $1.5 million annual bond payment.

RADIO PROJECT

A local property-transfer tax of $1 per $500 of value has been requested by the county to help pay for a proposed $9 million public-safety radio system.

Palmer said the estimated $600,000 annual revenue from the new transfer tax would come close to covering the cost of the radio project’s bond payments.

He said the foundation of the county’s emergency services is its volunteer fire and ambulance companies, and they need a modern radio system.

“This critical and necessary upgrade has been put off for too long.”

BOARDING INMATES

He said a contract with the U.S. Marshal Service to board federal inmates at the 120-bed jail has resulted in about 50 additional prisoners at $98 a day.

“If we maintain the 50 inmates a day, the cost of the (jail) bond could be paid from this revenue source, as opposed to the property tax.”