By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorWarren County commissioners approved a small drop in the property tax rate for 2015, a move that reflects strong sales tax revenue figures to start the year.All three commissioners voted in support of setting the overall tax levy at 28.82 cents per $100 in assessed valuation.The 2014 tax rate was 29.93 cents. A public hearing was held prior to the vote. No one from the public was in attendance.The 2015 tax rate for general revenue was set at 11.22 cents and the road and bridge levy is 17.60 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The county is expecting to generate $1,589,282 from both funds. Of that amount, $970,554 is budgeted for in the road and bridge fund and $618,728 in general revenue.The 2014 rate was 12.33 cents for general revenue and 17.60 cents for the road and bridge fund. The amount of revenue budgeted last year was $1,626,497.The road and bridge levy was set at the maximum level allowed by law, officials noted.With sales tax revenue projecting higher than what was budgeted at the start of the year, commissioners noted the formula used by the state auditor’s office required the county to roll back the rate.Through the first eight months of 2015, revenue from sales tax is $32,153.22 higher than the budgeted amount. The county also continues to receive a boost from the use tax, which was passed by voters in April 2013. The tax, which is levied on certain items purchased outside Missouri, has been a big reason for the revenue exceeding projections.“If not for the use tax, it would be down,” Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson said. “That is money coming from out of state.”Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner said the commission remains wary of how sales tax will play out for the remainder of the year.“I am very happy with where it is, but I am very cautious with what is happening with our economy right now,” he remarked. “It could go south in a hurry. The stock market, China evaluating their currency; there are a lot of ifs no different than any other business."The county’s assessed valuation increased for the fourth consecutive year. The combined real estate and personal property valuation is projected at $551,451,099, up from $543,433,731 in 2014.The assessed valuation for real estate is estimated at $449,624,271, up from $444,559,288 in 2014. Personal property valuation is projected to go up to $101,826,828 from the 2014 figure of $98,874,443.Each tax rate is determined by dividing the amount of revenue required by the current assessed valuation. The result is multiplied by 100 so that tax rate is expressed in cents per $100 valuation.Tax Rate