Burlington council adopts budget, raises property tax rate 8 cents

Burlington property owners will pay about $80 more a year for every $100,000 in assessed value after the City Council unanimously adopted a budget that lifted the tax rate to 56.36 cents per $100. The extra penny, approved Tuesday, June 3, pushed the increase to 8 cents and locked in a larger bill for homes, landlords and businesses inside the city limits.

The council went beyond city manager Bob Patterson’s original 7-cent proposal, which would have raised the rate from 48.36 cents to 55.36 cents. Patterson had tied 4 cents of his plan to debt service on voter-approved 2024 GO bonds and the remaining 3 cents to police and fire spending. The council added another cent and ultimately set the rate at 56.36 cents, according to the city’s budget materials.

City officials say the higher rate is needed after 19 years without a property tax increase. They say 4 cents of the adopted hike will cover debt service on the 2024 GO bonds, while the other 4 cents will help with public safety staffing, higher contract costs, chemicals, vehicle replacement and other inflationary pressures. The city says the budget is meant to maintain current service levels, not add new ones.

The budget adopted a general fund total of $95,928,275 and total annual funds of $151,071,986. Public hearing notices put the budget before council on June 2 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 425 South Lexington Avenue, and the hearing drew no public comments.

Along with the tax increase, Burlington’s budget raises water and sewer fees by 5 percent and adds $1 a month for curbside waste removal. Stormwater fees drop from $7 to $6 per month as the city moves to a graduated structure for commercial and industrial property owners. The Downtown Special Tax District rate stays at 17 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

The city’s budget records also show the scale of the capital work tied to the GO bonds. The MAC Pool enclosure design is complete and construction is underway, the Paramount Theater expansion and renovation is in progress, the Burlington Sportsplex project has a design-build contract awarded, resurfacing work is underway and sidewalk repairs are in progress.

The June 3 vote gave Burlington a clear new fiscal path: higher taxes for property owners, higher fees for utilities and trash, and more room for city leaders to keep police, fire and other core services at current levels while paying for debt and inflation.