Warren County commissioners last week voted for slight increases in 2013 tax rates for general revenue and road and bridge funds.A public hearing was held prior to the vote on Sept. 5. No one from the public attended the hearing.The property rates proposed by County Clerk Barbara Daley and unanimously approved by the three commissioners were 12.48 cents per $100 in assessed valuation for general revenue, up from 11.39 cents in 2012, and 17.60 cents per $100 valuation for road and bridge funds, up from 17.56 cents last year.“The levy for general revenue is driven by sales tax, and based on a formula from the state auditor’s office,” said Daley, who noted that the rate is half of the calculated ceiling of 24.43 cents.“They could have gone up considerably higher,” said Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage. “But we felt like taxpayers really worked with us on the use tax, so we wanted to give some relief in the general revenue tax.”The use tax, imposed on items purchased outside Missouri’s borders where state sales taxes do not apply, was approved by voters in April and went into effect in July.Daley said the rate for road and bridge funds is set at the ceiling provided by the state auditor’s office, as it has been for years.“There are a lot of demands on our roads right now, so we need to continue to tax at the ceiling in that area,” Engelage said.

Warren County