Beech Tree News Network

The Morgantown City Council held a called meeting on Wednesday, September 5, at the Eva J. Hawes  Agriculture and Expo Community Center. Council members Sharon Phelps, Russell Givens, Gary Southerland, and Edra Dean Hampton were in attendance.  With only three items on the agenda, the council held a relatively short meeting as compared to some recent meetings.
The first item was the first reading of the real estate and tangible tax rate for 2012.  Russell Givens made the motion to leave the tax rate the same at 10.4 cents per $100.  Sharon Phelps seconded the motion, which passed 4-0 on a roll call vote.
According to information provided by City Clerk Anita Gossett, the city should collect around $90,313.00 for 2012, an increase of $6,705.00 from 2011.

Next, the council approved the 2012 motor vehicle and watercraft property tax rate.  On a motion by Gary Southerland and a second by Dean Hampton, the council voted 4-0 to keep the rate the same, which is the state minimum of 27.9 cents per $100. 
The final item on the agenda, bank shares, did not require a vote.  Gossett informed the council that the city received $34,654 in 2011 from bank shares franchise and local deposit tax at the rate of 25 cents per $100. The bank shares tax is based on the amount of money local banks have on deposit.

The second reading of the tax rates will take place at a called meeting on Friday, September 7, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. at the Eva J. Hawes Agriculture and Expo Community Center. The council will also set the date for Trick-or-Treat in Morgantown at this time.