By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

The city of Palmetto passed its customary property tax rate Monday night, but not before Mayor Clark Boddie told residents why the city had conducted recent public hearings on the issue.

Under the new Taxpayers' Bill of Rights, cities are required to have public hearings if the value of local properties increases, bringing in more revenue, and cities choose not to roll back the tax rate to return the windfall to the taxpayers.

"New developments and reassessments are the two items that cause the tax digest to increase," Boddie said.

When the numbers had been crunched this year, City Administrator Bill Shell said the city would collect just over $5,400 more in revenue this year.

The city decided to set the tax rate at 4.5 mills, which has been the same for the last nine years, and have the public hearings instead of adjusting the millage rate downward, Boddie said.

A mill is one dollar per thousand dollars of a property's assessed value, which is 40 percent of its market value minus any exemptions. A mill usually produces about $38 in taxes on a $100,000 home.

Boddie threw open the meeting to comments from the residents, but with the audience's silence as an affirmation, the council passed the millage rate unanimously.