Martinsville City Council members, alongside Martinsville City Public School officials, gave presentations for their proposed budgets for the next fiscal year.
“It’ll look very much like last year’s,” Dr. Zebedee Talley Jr. said. “We’re only asking for around $158,000 because right now, based on what the general assembly is saying, that would be enough for what we need in this current time.”
Alongside 3% staff pay raises, Dr. Talley and his team already have ideas as for what they want this money to go towards.
“Number one, safe schools. Schools have to feel safe,” Dr. Talley said. Number two, continue the academic success; you saw the charts, you’ve seen that we’ve been on a nine year, eight year accreditation for every school, we have to continue.”
On the city’s side, an ordinance adjustment for the elderly and disabled individuals that grants higher tax exemptions the lower one’s income is alongside slightly lower real estate tax rates.
“They had initially proposed a tax rate of 82 cents per one hundred dollars of assessment, real estate assessment,” City Councilman Julien Mei. “I’d have to go back and look, but they have a new proposed tax rate for real estate, which I think was .77 per one hundred dollars of real estate.”
This meeting was cordial, especially after a previous meeting that saw Councilman Aaron Rawls get escorted out.
Councilman Mei says today, the focus was on the everyday citizens of Martinsville.
“Our priority right now is to consider the citizens and the taxpayers,” Mei said. “While there might be some drama and some things going on that are unfortunate, you kind of have to put it in a box and deal with it at its appropriate time.”
Further discussions and public hearings will be held the budgets before they’ll be approved.