8-18-10 —     Property tax rates will decrease slightly this year, if the Monticello City Council approves the proposed ordinance setting the rates. The first reading of the ordinance was heard during Monday night's meeting.

    Under the proposed ordinance property tax rates would decrease from 12.1 cents to 12 cents per hundred dollars assessed value. The rate for tangible property will decrease from 14.1 cents to 12.2 cents per hundred dollars assessed value.

    The rates for motor vehicles and watercraft will remain the same at 22.5 cents per hundred dollars assessed value.

    Under the ordinance property taxes would become payable on October 1 and would be due by November 30. Any taxes not paid by November 30 will be delinquent and will be subject to a 25 percent penalty.

    Since this was only a first reading of the ordinance, no action was required by the council. The second reading will be held at the next meeting.

    In other action, the council agreed to draft a letter to the Appalachian HIDTA's board regarding statements made by David Keller, who is deputy director of the organization, in an article published last month in the Commonwealth-Journal. The article was part of the coverage regarding the ongoing issue between the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force and its future involvement with the City of Somerset.

    The City of Monticello has taken steps to put everything in place in case the relationship between Somerset and the Drug Task Force is severed, but at this point they are still waiting to see what occurs. The article, which was published July 29, was referred to Monday night by Councilman Jeffrey Edwards, who said he was bothered by the statement Keller made regarding the Drug Task Force's possible change of fiscal agents.

    The statement in the article, which Edwards read during the meeting, was: "The mayor says it's no big deal to just move this to Monticello," Keller said. "You don't just unplug and plug fiduciaries. Somerset has been on solid, credible ground. Why would you want to move to a smaller, more rural city? This will look even worse on paper in Washington (when decisions about grants are made)."

    Edwards suggested that the City of Monticello draft a letter to the HIDTA board in disagreement of this statement, which was approved by the council. Mayor Kenneth Catron directed City Attorney Gordon Germain to draft the letter.

    In other action during the meeting, the council:

    • Approved Gordon Germain as the attorney for the Scattered Housing Project procurement.

    • Directed the street department and Police Chief Ralph Miniard to take another look at traffic control at the intersection of Barnes Drive and Rolling Hills Boulevard.