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Delray Beach holds the line on taxes

By Palm Beach Business.com

DELRAY BEACH — Delray Beach city commissioners agreed Friday to keep the city’s property tax rate at its present level — $7.1992 per thousand dollars of assessed value — as they move to fill a $2.4 million gap in the budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year. 

But Friday’s vote doesn’t mean that commissioners are done with budget work for the year. Far from it. Nor does it guarantee that there won’t be a tax hike, although there was considerable sentiment against such a move.

Commissioners conducted the special meeting Friday morning to set a preliminary rate that will be included on tax notices the county will send to property owners during the next few weeks. From a practical standpoint the rate set during the meeting is the highest the city can go, although they can go lower.

However, commissioners could still impose a fire service fee. However, three of the five commissioners — Angeleta Gray, Al Jacquet and Tom Carney — said they would vote against the fee Friday morning.

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