Taxpayers of Clinton County will see their rate of taxes remain unchanged from the past fiscal year, as Clinton Fiscal Court, during a call session last Friday morning, August 31, opted to keep the rates unchanged. All magistrates were present for the brief meeting.

The rates were presented at 6.0 per $100 assessed value on real property; 6.2 on personal property and 7.8 on motor vehicle and watercraft for the 2012-13 year, all the same as the 2011-12 year. Magistrate Mickey Riddle made the motion to approve the rates, which passed by unanimous vote.

Although 3rd District Magistrate Larry Hatfield voted in favor of setting the rates as the previous year, following the vote he told his fellow squires that the court was going to have to raise taxes little by little, apparently via the four percent allowed increase the county could have opted for, citing the fact the county was in need of extra revenues.

Several taxing districts had also submitted their budgets to the court.

By law, the county doesn’t have any say in what rates each individual taxing districts set their rates, and only voted to accept the rates by formality as they had been presented.

The following rates per taxing district was presented and on record as being accepted by the court:

* Soil Conservation: 1.5 cents per $100 assessed value across the board.

* Extension Service: 4.6 cents for real property; 8.35 for personal; and 2.0 for motor vehicle and watercraft.

* Public Library: 3.0 on real property and 4.0 on personal.

* Health Department: 3.5 across the board on real, personal and motor vehicle and watercraft.

* School District: 38.4 cents per $100 assessed value on both real and personal property; .53 cents on motor vehicle and watercraft and three percent on utilities.

The court also held second and final reading on two budget amendments.

The first amendment included a $216,000 federal grant used toward a bridge replacement project in the Fifth Magisterial District. The other amendment included $297,182.58 in carryover funds from the past 2011-12 fiscal year.

Both amendment readings passed by unanimous vote.

Magistrate Charlene King suggested that since there was a sizeable surplus in the road department fund, that maybe it should be used to purchase some upgraded equipment for that department.

Judge/Executive Lyle Huff noted that particular issue wasn’t on the agenda for the special meeting but said it could be discussed at a future meeting.

In an unrelated item that wasn’t on the agenda last week, Magistrate King also had presented Judge Huff and fellow magistrates with a letter requesting fiscal court meetings be video taped. A separate article on that issue appears elsewhere in this week’s Clinton County News.