Local officials are hoping a property tax disaster might not be as bad as it appears.
A day after getting the news about a possible $6 million shortfall in property tax revenue for this year, Mayor Dennis Tyler spoke hurriedly Wednesday morning as he prepared to leave his Muncie City Hall office for a trip to Indianapolis.
“I’m on my way down there now to meet with the Legislative Services Agency,” Tyler told The Star Press. “I want to talk to some of their fiscal people and get better information.
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It was a hope voiced earlier this week by Delaware County Council President Kevin Nemyer, who said, “I’m still hoping some information we received was not 100 percent correct.”
Tyler and other local government and schools officials found themselves struggling to understand and react to the news that, through a complicated series of events, local governments will get millions fewer dollars in property tax revenue this year.
Local governments have been adjusting to downturns in revenue since statewide property tax caps were enacted in 2010. This year, for example, city officials had been told to expect a decrease of $7.6 million.
But the Delaware County auditor’s office informed officials from local governments, schools and other taxing units this week that the decreases will be greater than anticipated. The city would lose $13.9 million — $6 million more than had been expected.
County government would lose an extra $1 million, while Muncie Community Schools would lose an additional $2 million, based on figures released by the auditor’s office.
The explanation for the loss was included in an email
from County Auditor Judy Rust to local towns, townships and schools Tuesday evening....
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