Town budget proposal maintains tax rates

The Town of Sparta's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes a 2 percent increase in water and sewer rates while maintaining 28-cent tax rate.

Presenting the proposal to the Town Council May 5, Town Manager Bryan Edwards noted while he is recommending the second increase in the water and sewer rates in the last two years, the overall proposed budget amount, $2,070,324, is actually a .014 percent (or $30,346) decrease as compared to the current year's budget of $2,100,670.

Last year, town officials approved a 3 percent increase in water and sewer rates, along with a single cent tax increase and a 50-cent monthly increase for garbage collection.

Discussing the 2 percent increase proposed for water and sewer rates this year, Edwards said, "We have made significant improvement in the financial and operational aspects of our water and sewer departments, and I believe it is critically important that we continue to keep these departments financially viable and self-supporting. We will be completing the mapping of our water and sewer system within the next few weeks, and we have other infrastructure studies that need to be completed.