Montgomery County sets proposed budget, increases tax rate 1.5 cents, pending public hearing

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors agreed Monday night on the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget which, would include a tax rate increase of 1.5 cents.

This move follows weeks of teachers asking the board to increase taxes by 2 cents to fund raises for the teachers along with equipment and capital needs.

The county had pointed out when the first budget was proposed it didn't have enough extra money in the entire county to fulfill the request of the Montgomery County Public Schools.

On March 19, County Sheriff Hank Partin asked the Board of Supervisors for a one cent raise to put School Resource Officers in each school in the county. He requested a tax increase again during a budget work session on Monday.

The board agreed, 4-3, to increase the proposed tax rate by 1.5 cents, making the proposed budget for FY 2019 $190,434,064.

A public hearing is scheduled on both the budget and the tax rate on April 5 at 6:00.