TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)--Tallahassee city leaders now in the process of balancing the proposed 2014 budget, but in may include some tax hikes for you. City leaders are considering hiking up property taxes to help avoid cuts in city service.
"Our citizens have told us, we don't want you to cut services so we have to try to find a different way," said Commissioner Gil Ziffer.
Tallhassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer says balancing the proposed nearly $900 million budget will be tough, but they're going to find the best way to make it work
"Whatever we can do to save money we're going to try to do that," said Ziffer.
One of those options is to raise property taxes.
"Property taxes continue to decline, the income from that, because property values continue to decline," said Ziffer.
This means there's less money going into the city's general fund which pays for much needed community services. All of this on top of the more than $5 million deficit.
Commissioners property owners could be looking at an increase of about $40 dollars a year, which is about $3.75 per month.
Heather Baker owns The Green Room at Lake Ella hair salon in Tallahassee.
She says everytime property taxes goes up her rental fees follow.
"It would just make it harder for us, it would increase everything," said Baker.
It's something Baker is used too, her rent is now double what it was 14 years ago when this salon first opened. While an increase will still effect her,k bottom line she says she's willing to take a loss to save city services.
"If I had to pay a little bit more to make sure certain people got what they needed, that would be fine," said Baker.
The commissioners final budget workshop is scheduled for July 1st.
