The Fairfield County Council and Administrator set a budget six months before a fiscal year, and begins with a millage rate that will stipulate the amount of money needed to run the County. Fiscal years are July 1 to June 30. The total amount of the budget may vary from year to year because of owner-owned properties. There are more and more houses becoming vacant each year and not being purchased by new owners.
Millage: a rate (as of taxation) expressed in mills per dollar. Unfortunately for taxpayers in Fairfield County, the mill value is $127,427. In Fiscal Year 2011, a mill was worth $119,939 and was raised to $127,058 in Fiscal Year 2013 and now in Fiscal Year 2014, raised again to $127,427. This means that the taxpayers of Fairfield County will pay the county $24,389,527.80 in taxes this year (county millage rate 191.4 x 127,427) even though the County Council voted on a budget of $22,780,152. The total millage rate for the County as a whole (school system and County general fund) is 426.5 x $127,427 for a taxation of $54,347,615.50.
An ‘FOI’ was sent to the County Administration asking for all revenue the County receives outside the taxpayer’s millage taxes each year and the amount of ‘extra revenue’ is $40,000,000 yearly. This proves the Administration has taxed citizens each year for the budget and spent all of this extra revenue outside the budget. Where was this money spent? Why borrow on bonds ($24,060,000) when the county receives all of this extra money? Why are we paying any taxes at all?
J.R. Douglas
Winnsboro
